Monday, May 29, 2006
May 30 Acts 24
Go ahead and look first at Acts 24 . See how God speaks to you individually. Then come back, if you wish, and see what God has put in my mind/heart.
Key Verse(s): Acts 24:16
So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.
Title: Simple, Easy Truth on the Layaway Plan
Observation: Paul is speaking before a powerful leader in front of his accusers, some of the Jewish leaders. And he acknowledges both the truth of their faith, in his belief in the Law and the Prophets, as well as explaining that he is a follower of the Way, which was an early shorthand for following Jesus.
It might have been easier for him to shade the truth. To either claim he had no connection with the Jewish way or to omit some facts about his following of Jesus. It might have been easier to tell less than the full truth, some convenient almost truth, so that it would go easier for him.
Too often we are tempted to tell less than the truth in much less perilous situations than this. We are in a culture that expects us to lie, live under a legal system which encourages us to at best conceal the truth, to not testify fully for fear of incriminating ourselves. The desire to avoid hassle or conflict can cause us to be less that forthright, less than truthful, in certain circumstances. The truth can be painful- but far less painful than losing your credibility.
Application: I need be direct in my speech. I need to be willing to pay the consequences for being forthright- whether that’s in time or in difficult conversation- rather than just skim along the surface of a conversation, nodding without agreeing with the speaker, just avoiding a confrontation I don’t want to have. I must be forthright in a difficult conversation I need to have tomorrow.
Prayer: Lord God, help me to be willing to pay the price of honesty. Lord, I long to have a clear conscience before everyone, as Paul did. Help me to be transparent in both word, motive, and action.
In Jesus Name,
Amen.
