Staying Power

Today's Reading: Acts 25

Scripture:
"Yet I have nothing definite to write to my lord." Acts 25:26

Observation:
Acts is tough book for journaling personal application. It is very much a narrative story and I am having a really hard time finding how to apply it to my life. Much like Festus in this verse, I keep playing it over in my head, but I am not finding anything to write.

2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. So what is God trying to teach me this morning?

Application:
Staying power. That is the word I feel like God is giving me today. Staying power. I had a dream last night. I started out getting in an argument with some biker dudes. Were this to have happened in real life it would not have been a good thing as I am not much of a fighter. At any rate, I remember walking away from the guys and feeling convicted of what I had said so I went back and apologized. During the apology I realized these guys needed to here about Jesus. I beautifully laid out the plan of salvation to these guys and they began to mock me.

Anger boiled up in side of me. I awoke from my dream and I still felt the anger. It was one of those dreams that seemed so real and when I woke up I felt like it literally had happened. I was ticked. So ticked that I wished I could go back in my dream and kick the crap out of the bikers.

As I look at the trials of Paul in this passage, here is the thing that amazes me; he controlled himself. My dream last night was just a dream, but at the same time it was very revealing of my heart. If I were in Paul's place I do not think I would have been able to stay focused on the mission God had for me. I would not have been able to face a trial on BS charges 6 times. I would have been angry even to the point of being angry at God.

But not Paul. Each opportunity afforded to him was viewed as a chance for him to share his faith. His faith was real to him. His heart was bent fully towards God's word being known. He did not care about himself. He was broken for the lost. Even as they mocked him or tried to kill him he maintained his love for them. His faith had true staying power.

Prayer:
I have a long ways to go. Father God, forgive my pride. Help me move past it. I am way to self-centered. I am afraid that my faith has no staying power. As soon as life gets tough or things do not go my way I have a tendency to become angry, get frustrated and then fall away.

I pray this morning that You guide me as I seek Your presence. Be before me today in a real and tangible way. Speak to me in a way that cuts to the core of who I am and molds me into the man You desire for me to be. Help me to articulate Your truth to others in a manner that gives You glory for what You have done in my life and causes them to seek Your glory for their own. Strengthen my faith so that it has the power to stay with me in good times and bad.