Day 34- Out Of The Difficult Comes Action

^{In reading Acts 8, I found two sections that I felt like I needed to write about. For the sake of clarity, I will post them individually.}

⁹Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, ¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." ¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. ¹²But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. ¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Acts 8:9-13

Leading into this verse, Stephen had been stoned, others were arrested, and it would be safe to say they were living under difficult circumstances. Yet, it was the difficult circumstances in their lives that led many others to travel and spread the gospel to all they saw. In other words, normal, everyday people saw the importance in becoming Missionaries. Difficult circumstances often lead to desperation which often leads to action. Sometimes we may feel that God isn’t paying attention to our situation when in fact He has had His hand in it all along.

When I read this verse today, I think of Haiti. I think about all of those in Haiti who have spread their voodoo magic and astonished the people with such things for many years. The Christians have been the minority in Haiti, or so we thought. Suddenly, tragedy strikes and everything they know is turned upside down. In the midst of their suffering and death, God’s Hand is still writing on the wall of Haiti. The first thing He did was to show the world that there truly are Christians in Haiti who will praise God no matter what circumstances they find themselves in. People are now traveling to Haiti that would have never fathomed the thought before this tragedy. You see, difficult circumstances have led to desperation and finally to action. When God’s people get desperate, they will move in new ways. No,let me rephrase that. When God’s people get desperate enough, they will allow Him to move them in new ways. They will open up their hearts and minds, put down their own pen, and let God write the book. Just as the people saw a God greater than Simon in Acts 8, just as Simon himself saw a new way, the voodoo priests in Haiti and those who followed them are turning to a God that they once rejected.

Isn't it wonderful what God can do with a difficult situation?