Passage of the Day - February 27, 2011

Acts 28:1-7

¹When they had been brought safely through, then we found out that the island was called Malta.

 ²The natives showed us extraordinary kindness; for because of the rain that had set in and because of the cold, they kindled a fire and received us all.

 ³But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand.

 ⁴When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, "Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live."

 ⁵However he shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm.

 ⁶But they were expecting that he was about to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had waited a long time and had seen nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Here is an example of God's providential will.  God made it clear that Paul was to get to Rome.  It was God's providential will that Paul would get to Rome that earlier He revealed to Paul.  Since it was His providential will, there was absolutely nothing that could stand in its way of being accomplished.  The shipwreck in chapter 27 couldn't stop it.  The viper couldn't stop God's will from happening either.  Now, we can't take this to mean that if I figure out God's providential will (or more precisely "perfect will") God will make sure it happens no matter what.  That isn't what is being taught here.  This isn't about Paul and this isn't about us.  This is about God.  If we examine the promises and prophecies of God we can rest assured that they absolutely will come to pass because there is absolutely no power that can prevent God from doing what He wants and seeing happen what He wants to see happen.  What a mighty and powerful God we serve!

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®,
© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Used by permission." (http://www.lockman.org/)