the Third Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 4 of 5
Acts 22:12-30
"And now why tarriest thou?" asked Ananias of the new convert (v. 16). Friend, if the Lord has stopped you, you too, on your downward path, why do you delay taking your place openly with His disciples?
Three years later in Jerusalem, Paul has the privilege of seeing "the Just One", and of receiving his orders from His mouth (v. 17). He himself wanted to work among the Jews, thinking that his witness there would have so much more force since he was known before as a fanatical adversary of the truth (vv. 19, 20). But he had been set apart for service among the Gentiles (Galatians 1:15-16). Let us allow the Lord to decide our field of work for us.
V. 18 is still true. The Jews still do not receive the witness of the apostle Paul. The chief captain is obliged once again to protect him from their fury. As he is about to be tortured, Paul points out that he is a Roman citizen by birth. Later he will be taught to count as loss those things which are still gain in his eyes (Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:7).
As for our heavenly citizenship, no one acquires that by birth nor can it be acquired with money (v. 28). It is only possessed by those who have experienced new birth (John 3:3; Philippians 3:20).
