Joyful Moments in Christ

God’s Promise to Be Near

When things are going wrong, it is easy to feel as if we are all alone. Thankfully, God promises to be with us. All we need to do is draw near to him and he will reciprocate!

This is incredibly good news! If we are truly following Jesus, the devil will try to stop us. After his conversion to Christianity, Paul experienced this over and over again. In Acts 21-23, we see that Paul was beaten by a mob, rescued—and arrested—by the Roman authorities, struck on the mouth by orders of the Jewish high priest, and nearly torn to pieces by another mob. It would have been understandable if Paul had felt abandoned by God!

God’s Comfort and Purpose

However, God did show up and speaks words of comfort to Paul. They may not have been the words Paul was hoping for, but they revealed a purpose for his suffering. God wanted the testimony about Jesus to be rapidly spread to Rome, and Paul was the chosen vessel for this mission.

Of course, Paul had the option to refuse, but doing so would have been a rejection of God’s comfort and purpose. When we draw near to God, he draws near to us. He doesn’t promise an easy life, but he does promise eternal life in his kingdom. While salvation is a free gift, it comes with expectations. Just as we provide free housing to our children, we also expect them to follow rules and contribute to family life. God asks us to participate in building and living in his kingdom.

Accepting the Responsibility of Faith

God’s expectations are not about burdening us but about teaching us to grow. Just as it wouldn’t be healthy for parents to serve their children with no expectations, it isn’t healthy for us to live a life of faith without contributing to God’s work. Drawing near to God is a sign that we accept not only the gift of salvation but also the responsibilities that come with it.

Imagine if your boss gave you a promotion. If you then spent all your time lounging and let others do the work, you would quickly lose that position. Similarly, Paul didn’t treat his apostleship as a position of comfort. He didn’t sit in a villa, writing letters at leisure. Instead, he embraced the work, even when it led to imprisonment. God used those circumstances as a way for Paul to share the Gospel with influential people in Rome.

Following Paul’s Example

Paul accepted the challenge set before him. Now, we must consider the challenges God is asking us to accept. While most of us will not be called to apostleship, we are still asked to serve in meaningful ways. At the very least, we are called not to be ashamed of the Gospel!

Paul was tasked with boldly sharing the Gospel message in Rome. Where is God asking us to share it? With our spouse? Our children? Our other relatives and friends? Our coworkers? Strangers? When we draw near to God, he will reveal his plans for us. The question is: are we ready to accept the challenge and ask God for a task?

Reflection Questions

1. How can you draw nearer to God in your daily life?
2. Are you open to hearing God’s purpose for your current struggles?
3. What might God be asking you to do to contribute to his kingdom?
4. Are there areas in your life where you feel hesitant to share the Gospel? Why?
5. How can you embrace the responsibilities that come with your faith?

Reflective Prayer

Consider using these verses to pray using the ACTS method: Adoration, Confession, Thankfulness, and Supplication:

• Adoration: Praise God. Do these verses bring any specific characteristics of God to mind?
• Confession: Tell God that you are sorry for specific sins. Do these verses bring any specific sins to mind?
• Thankfulness: Show gratitude towards God. Does anything from these verses inspire gratitude?
• Supplication: Make requests for yourself and for others. Does anything from these verses inspire a prayer?

If helpful, you can use a prayer journal template.

Subscribe

If you enjoyed this post and wish to receive more Christian content, feel free to subscribe to my newsletters!

Related Resources

Visit the Joyful Moments in Christ homepage for all posts, or scroll through other blog posts related to difficulty, courage, and evangelism:

English Standard Version (ESV): Unless otherwise noted, scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language.