Just Because God Has Spoken to You Doesn’t Mean Bad Things Cannot Happen to You

[12] When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, [13] saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” – Acts 18:12-13 (NKJV)

In yesterday’s devotional, we learnt how God assured Paul of his security in Corinth, making him stay there for eighteen months (see Acts 18:9-11). But just one verse after that, the Bible says the Jews, with one accord, rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat. Wait. We don’t know which specific time this happened, whether after Paul stayed in the place for a year or a few moments after God spoke to him. But the reality is that Paul faced persecution. Even though Paul survived this and continued to stay in Corinth for some time (see Acts 18:18), it was clear to him that just because God had spoken to him, it didn’t mean bad things wouldn’t happen to him. Today, this thing is still in effect.

God may have spoken to you and given you great dreams to accomplish. On the first day you heard it, it may have sounded so lovely and appealing to your ears. In fact, many visionary Christians don’t even think of the things they will go through to reach that dreamland. Like Joseph, he was excited about God giving him two dreams of him ruling over his family, and out of that excitement, he went to tell his father, which ended up creating hatred among his brothers. In Paul’s case, the Bible didn’t record that he told others about the vision God gave him. But he still faced persecution.

Dear one, just because God has spoken to you doesn’t mean things cannot happen to you. We live in an evil age (see Galatians 1:4), where the devil, who is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4), does not like believers in Christ to thrive in their various callings peacefully. So, embrace persecution as part of your faith journey. But don’t give up despite the setbacks you face.

You are a blessing.