Text: Acts 13.5-12
In Acts 13.1-4 God clearly moves in Barnabas and Saul’s lives, leading them to travel to the island of Cyprus to spread the good news of Jesus. But when they arrive, they’re confronted with a Jewish sorcerer who attempts to discredit their ministry and message (Acts 13.8). Even though they’re following God’s movement in their lives, they’re also facing intense adversity.
This past weekend we learned God is often pleased to meet us as we move. We love to have all the details figured out beforehand—and have a contingency plan to boot. But if we wait for every detail to be lined up, we may be stuck for years. While God doesn’t promise painlessness in his leading, he does promise his presence and faithfulness—a promise to use every circumstance to help shape us to be more like Jesus. Often our deepest struggles become the place his character is most deeply formed in us.
Today, take a moment to reflect on the difficult seasons you’ve personally walked through. Jot them down on paper. Then, next to each season, write how God showed himself faithful and how you became more like Jesus through that time of adversity. As you look back, may you be able to respond to God with worship and praise, thanking him for using those difficult seasons to help make you more like Jesus.
