No Incredible

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

NO INCREDIBLE

Acts 26:4-8

4 "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. 5 They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. 6 And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. 7 This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. 8 Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?

NIV

After Paul asks Agrippa to listen patiently, he begins with testifying as to who he was before he met Jesus. The fact is Paul was the same, if not worse than those who have brought charges against him and want him killed. Paul must be aware of the conversation between Festus and Agrippa concerning Paul’s belief that a dead man is alive because of his question as to why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead. This is where we get our life lesson for today. It would seem that we Christians have absolutely no doubt that God raised Jesus from the dead, in fact, we really do not even consider it incredible, we just believe it to be true. Yet many believers struggle so much with believing God will provide for us, or direct us, or heal us, or for that matter do anything supernatural for us. The fact is that God is capable of doing anything and he told us if we believe, he will do anything we ask of him in the name of Jesus. Now why is that so incredible? Why should we look for God to work through human efforts? God did not need any human to raise Jesus from the dead. God did not need to human to appear to Paul and speak to him. All throughout the Old Testament we find God acting without the help of humans, so why would he need to use humans now to do what he wants to do? Paul talked about the promise the twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night. This is our lesson also in that we should be earnestly serving God, rather than being so concerned about our own affairs. God promised the Jews a Savior and he gave them one. God has promised us he will do so much for us and he will, but we do need to believe it. Although God did in fact send Jesus as their Savior, as the Christ, the Messiah, they did not believe it and thus they missed out on the greatest blessing of their lives. We cannot afford to miss out on all the blessings God has for us, because we do not believe. Now it is true that we should not live only to get all the blessings, as we should be serving God day and night, but doing so, believing God will provide all the promises he has told us that he will do. He will not withhold any good thing from those who love him. We need to live without thinking anything God does is incredible as he is God and can do anything. There is no incredible when it comes to God.