Day 233: Acts 8:1–13

So those who were scattered went on their way proclaiming the message of good news (v. 4).

Earlier in the book of Acts, we witnessed the New Testament church gathering often for prayer in the temple courts. But the disciples soon faced a virtual end to their freedom to practice their faith unafraid on temple grounds, as the religious leaders threatened Peter and John “not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:18 hcsb).

Over the next several chapters, persecution increased like stones pummeled from the fists of a crazed mob. The reality of the religious establishment’s intentions rose frighteningly to the surface as Stephen fell to his knees. I am convinced he was bloodied and bruised by a gnawing and growing paranoia in their souls: What if they were wrong about Jesus of Nazareth? What if they did crucify the Son of glory? They would do everything they could to silence the mouths of those who made them question their own actions.

But the Sanhedrin underestimated the tenacity of Christ’s unschooled and ordinary followers, who in effect inverted their muzzles and made them megaphones. Acts 8:1–4 tells of God’s unusual method of spreading the gospel. In The Two St. Johns of the New Testament, James Stalker wrote, “Not infrequently it was by persecution that the new faith was driven out of one place into another, where, but for this reason, it might never have been heard of; so that the opposition which threatened to extinguish the fire of the Gospel only scattered its embers far and wide; and wherever they fell a new fire was kindled.”55

What amazing providence! When Christ told His disciples that they would receive power and become witnesses not only in Jerusalem but to the uttermost parts of the earth, they never expected His means! No, His ways are not our ways. Our ways would always be comfortable. Convenient. Certainly without hurt or harm. We would always ask that God use the favor of man to increase our harvests. Not the fervor of opposition.

If you’ve walked with God very long, I have little doubt He has used what you perceived as a very negative means to achieve a positive result. I suspect that God has allowed you to experience a fence pushed down painfully in your life to expand His horizon for you. God is faithful, isn’t He? Even when He turns the ignition on a holy bulldozer to plow down a confining fence.