22.233 | Lowered In A Basket | Acts 9:23-25 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

God’s Word For Today

Acts 9:23-25 ESV

23 When many days had passed, the Jews[a] plotted to kill him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were watching the gates day and night in order to kill him, 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall,[b] lowering him in a basket.

LOWERED IN A BASKET

Paul, the hunter of believers, became the hunted person of the Jews. Paul the predator now becomes a prey from the Jews. They must felt betrayed. He was supposed to be their number one hatchet man. And, in a sudden, Paul became their number one problem or enemy. They found him preaching at the synagogues, “Jesus is the Son of God.” What a turn of events. It’s understandable how the Jews reacted that they plotted to kill him at Damascus.

They surrounded the city of Damascus and saw to it that every door exit should be sealed and had watched his movements closely, 24/7. But, God is Paul’s helper. As the psalmist wrote,

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.”[Psa 121:1]

When all doors are sealed, the window is still open to lower the basket. It is said that ’necessity is the mother of invention’. The brethren thought of lowering him down in a basket from a hole at a wall. But, it’s God who can dispose all our plans. As Prov 16: 9 says;

“The heart of man plans his way,

but the Lord establishes his steps.”

It’s not wrong to plan. What is wrong is to do it without prayer and God’s guidance. He must be before us in everything. He orders our steps, that is, He guides us to the right path a step at a time. Definitely, God has many things rich in store for Paul ahead, with suffering. God wasn’t finished with him yet. Otherwise, He could have allowed him to die at the hands of the Jews. Paul wasn’t afraid to die. He feared that he would be not doing the will of God. Later he wrote to the Philippians, “as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith” [Phil 1:20-25]

Today, should you and I are religiously doing the will of God and is preaching the gospel, we are disturbing the devil’s nest. We are pounding against the forces of the enemy with the gospel. But, Satan is the adversary, and he will oppose us vehemently. But, rest assured God has his own way of protecting His own people. [1 Cor 10:13] He will put us in His ‘basket’ to escape, scathe free.

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