Session 24

God cares more about your growth than your comfort

From Acts: A 28-Day Devotional

When Paul arrives in Caesarea, he explains the accusations to a new courtroom. Unsure of how to handle Paul’s case, the governor calls for help. In the meantime, he leaves Paul in jail and they talk regularly about faith.

God's Word can feel poorly timed, perhaps even prickly, sharp, and uncomfortable. But convenience is not something we should expect from God. 

God may not operate on our time frame, but He is always on time. Any attempt to schedule growth — to wait until life isn’t so busy, to wait until the children are older, to wait until God’s commands feel less confrontational — will mean missing out on what God is doing now.

Felix, though “well acquainted with the Way,” missed out on a relationship with Jesus because God’s truth felt like an inconvenience in Felix’s indulgences (Acts 24:22). He tried to take God in small doses. Felix sent for Paul frequently then dismissed Paul when he had enough.

It can be easy to slip into comfortable religion, consuming morsels of truth sporadically to dilute their impact. But the same way that eating ice cream for every meal isn't good for our physical health, sticking to the Scriptures we like isn't good for our spiritual health. God invites us to feast on His Word, to enjoy all of His promises and heed all of His instructions.

As we learn to eat well-balanced meals, we start to grow up in our faith. We start to see how the Bible is "is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Reflect:

• What does this passage teach us about God? How does it apply to you?
• What do you think frightened Felix about Paul’s message on righteousness, self-control, and judgment to come? Is it possible to hear the truth and remain unchanged by it? 
• Is your commitment to growth and change more like Paul or Felix? How?