Acts 23. It is remarkable that this narrative journey through Paul’s arrest, imprisonment, and trial seems to parallel the same experience that Jesus endured. There were false accusations, rumors, riots, the Jewish Sanhedrin in an uproar, Roman soldiers, and more. Acts 23 begins with Paul being sent before the Sanhedrin for questioning. This is how it goes:

“Then a great clamor arose… when the dissention became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.” (23:10)

I have asked you to trace the hand of God at work in protecting and guiding Paul as we finish up the book of Acts. In this incident we see the secular Roman soldiers again rescuing Paul (for at least the third time!) from an unruly Jewish mob.

Then we see God’s protection of Paul in a more personal, direct, and supernatural way. “The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”” (23:11)

Wow. How do you think this supernatural appearance of the Lord in the night made Paul feel? Why would the Lord choose to do that? And what was the significance of His message for Paul?

The text tells us that the next day a group of 40 Jews swore an oath to kill Paul and plotted how they would arrange for him to be brought to a specific place, where they would then kill him. Isn’t that kind of crazy?! A bunch of religious leaders plotting murder?

Yet we see again God’s protection for Paul. A young boy who is Paul’s nephew, overhears the plot, shares it with the right people, and gives the military leadership an opportunity to respond and protect Paul (23:12-22). I love that God chooses to use a young teen to intervene. I love that Paul believes him, and that the military commander receives him and believes him. God is at work again.

Then the military tribune sends two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to conduct a secret prison transfer of Paul approximately 75 miles from Jerusalem to Caesarea on the coast where he comes under the care of the governor. Wow. That is one heck of an escort! When the Lord told Paul you must also testify in Rome, I bet that Paul did not really know what that might entail… but here is another example of God at work.

When you think about Paul’s journey, how does seeing the hand of God protecting and directing him encourage you?

Spend some time today reflecting on the hand of God in your life. Ask God to show you his active hand in your life. Think about things like how he brought you into relationship with himself, how he has guided and directed you, how he has protected you, and how he has provided for you. Say thank you to Him for his care for you.