From Chaos to Peace

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FROM CHAOS TO PEACE

Acts 21:30-39

30 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31 While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32 He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 3 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34 Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35 When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Away with him!" 37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. 38 "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" 39 Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." 0 Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:

NIV

With the whole city of Jerusalem in an uproar, with people running from all directions as they seized Paul and dragged him from the temple, its gates were shut. Why would the gates to the temple, dedicated to God, be shut? Was that closing off Paul from the temple, or an attempt to close in God, while they beat Paul, trying to kill him? These are Jews, who profess their obedience to the Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, yet right there in front of the temple of God, they are wanting to kill a man. However, with the Roman commander and his soldiers intervening, they stopped beating Paul. He took him into custody, in chains, and brought him to the army barracks. Up till now, the Jews were out of control, maybe even thinking they were doing God a favor by killing Paul. But Paul was God's man; he had done what God wanted, as he was led by the Spirit, and now, after men wanted their way, it was time for the Spirit to take over and get things done his way. We notice that after Paul received permission to speak to the crowd, as he motioned to them, they were all silent, and he began to speak to them in Aramaic or Hebrew. What we learn is a lesson for all times. The Spirit leads the way, and God's will is always accomplished. When the Spirit speaks, or we could say, when God speaks, we should be like that crowd, silent. It may be that we spend too much time talking to God, asking him for what we want, and then spend too little time being silent, listening for his voice, his directions, his leading in our lives, his plan, his purpose for us. It is possible that when we shut the gate of our heart, shutting God out, so to speak, life might get a little chaotic, as we run in all directions, trying to do what we think is the right thing, but not knowing for sure, so we run in another direction, trying something else we think is right, but never finding it, unless we stop, remain silent, and listen for his voice, his leading and then we will be right where we are supposed to be, doing exactly what God desires us to do, then chaos is turned into peace.