Wednesday, October 18
Acts 19:18-20
Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. When they calculated the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.
Devotional:
The believers here are taking their faith to the next level. For many this was to confess their sin (what they had done) openly. They decided to come clean; to stop hiding it and not keep it a secret (a huge act of humility). For others, they chose to take it to the next level; they chose to bring their scrolls. In front of everyone, they burned them in a public act of repentance. Something that sticks out;: they did not sell the evil scrolls (as to profit or financially gain anything). Rather, they burned them and willingly experienced a significant financial loss. This was a declaration and public statement as to who they were becoming. They didn’t just profess Christ with mere words, but confessed and put their faith in action. By doing this, they publicly proclaimed that they were believers who trusted and followed Jesus Christ. By burning the scrolls openly, they opened themselves up to being held accountable for their future actions. Also, due to their BOLD actions, the word of the Lord (i.e., the good message of Jesus Christ) spread widely; more people came to see and believe in the growing power of the Gospel.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me so very much; You sent Your son to die for me. Please show me how to grow in my relationship with You. Please reveal in me anything that is preventing me from knowing You more. I want to make You a bigger part of my daily life. Please show me what my next step is. Give me the faith and strength to take that next step with You, in faith. Help me to strengthen my relationship with You and let people see who you are, in and through me. In the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Application:
Today, as you spend time with God, ask Him to direct you; so you can LIVE for God in a new way today. Ask God to reveal to you an accountability partner – someone you can trust, share with and walk with in your Christianity. Today, confess and apologize to someone that you have wronged. Trust that God will bring healing. Trust that God’s Gospel will grow in power. Trust that God will receive glory.