To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

 

    Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?  Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun."

   Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

 

The proconsul, a Roman official named Sergius Paulus, who lived on the island of Cyprus was a man who was seeking God.  Typical of the officials of his time, he kept in his household his own private sorcerer, (his resident psychic or fortune teller or astrologer, if you will).  This sorcerer, Bar-Jesus (or Elymas) had a great position.  He was close to the proconsul and exercised a good deal of power as far as his powerful boss’s life was concerned.  Bar-Jesus was not at all happy when Sergius Paulus summoned Paul, wanting to hear the word of God.  So Bar-Jesus did everything he could to oppose Paul’s presence and to keep his boss from hearing what Paul had to say.

 

Paul was in an uncomfortable position.  He had been invited into Sergius Paulus’ home, but one of the most important and influential people there was making Paul’s job quite difficult.  Paul had two choices.  He could be polite, enjoy a social visit, then leave.  Or Paul could confront Bar-Jesus with the evil that controlled the other man.  Led by the Holy Spirit, Paul chose the latter course of action.  The final result?…. Sergius Paulus was saved.

 

Many times in our lives we are confronted with the same choice as Paul.  Sometimes the best course of action is to just be polite and leave.  Other times, confrontation is called for.  The only way we can know which course of action to choose is through the prompting of the Holy Spirit.  And the only way we can distinguish what the Holy Spirit wants us to do is to stay so in tune to Him that we recognize His voice when He speaks. 

 

Start getting on His wave-length today.  Spend time in the Word and in prayer every day so that you will know which path to take - and have the courage to take the right one – when choices are presented.

 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7 NIV