Enthusiasm

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ENTHUSIASM

Acts 20:7-12

7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.

NIV

How much did Paul have to say that he spoke from the morning through midnight? He did not have all four of the gospel accounts or any of the letters he had written, although his fourteen letters, Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus,  Philemon, and maybe even Hebrews, give us just how much Paul had to say about living a Christ-centered life. He was filled to the brim with the Holy Spirit, excited to share all about Jesus and the incredible life available to those who believe in him. Yet, as enthusiastic a speaker as Paul was, a young man sitting in the window fell deep in sleep and fell out, dropping three stories to his death. Maybe Paul was not that great a speaker, if he put people to sleep, but he was talking all day and into the late hours of the night. But it was not the end of the young man as Paul went down, lay over him, wrapped his arms around him, and simply stated a fact, "He's alive!" Then he went back upstairs and continued to talk until daylight. What do we learn from this narrative? We may not be able to speak for that many hours, but Paul spoke from his heart. That is what we can learn, to speak from our hearts. However, first we should have the truth deep within our hearts, not just talk about the scriptures intellectually. God has said that he has written the law, his word, upon our hearts and minds, and so we should have that enthusiasm, that spark, that comes from being filled to overflowing with the Spirit. The one thing that is not as clear as it could be is the reason the people were comforted. Was it because they were able to take the young man who was dead, but now is alive, home, or was it because of everything Paul had to say about Jesus and the resurrection, that although we die, we will live and much more about how we will be changed in a twinkly of an eye when Jesus returns to take us up to heaven to live in the place he has prepared for us? We know that when we read the word of God, we are comforted. The word of God brings us great joy and peace; our hearts are settled as we can be still within our hearts because we know He is God. We can live stress-free, worry-free because we put all our trust in Jesus. Because we are filled with the Spirit, we can speak about Jesus with enthusiasm.