Beach Thoughts

Wrote this while reflecting on life, the universe, and everything today at the beach...

I've been going through Acts recently. Really good stuff. At one point, Paul could get out of prison and go free, and he's been imprisoned for more than two years- but he appeals to Caesar and that keeps him in chains (Acts 26:32). Then he gets to witness directly to Caesar Agrippa, the ruler of the Roman Empire, about Jesus Christ. Dang. Talk about being sensitive to God's will and going all the way with it. He knew he would suffer in Jerusalem (the entire church pleaded with him not to go, because they saw this too) but he didn't turn. Do we really need to have something huge happen to us (as in, Paul's dramatic conversion) to get to that level?

...actually, when we get perspective on it, with our first sin and our repeated willful separations from God we committed the worst thing possible... knowing and willful separation from our loving and powerful God. We just need to realize that fact in its truth and entirety, like Paul did on the road to Damascus. When we take the time to really find out and experience how much He loves us, then we see the vastness of our sin and the hugeness of His love that conquers and spans that gap... no matter if you stole a cookie or killed millions. Then we choose: to live like we know that, or not.

For the story of Paul (formerly Saul), check out Acts 7:54 through 8:3 and then Acts 9:1-31 and the rest of Acts.