God’s Servants, God’s Possessions

Once safely on shore … the islanders showed us unusual kindness … They honored us in many ways.
Acts 28:1-2,10

Persecution, danger, shipwreck, snakebite, imprisonment. Where did Paul find the strength to face each new challenge?

God specializes in caring for his own as they go about the business of heaven—a truth that J. Hudson Taylor underscores from firsthand experience.

WALK WITH J. HUDSON TAYLOR
“Even in shipwreck and uncertainty, the apostle’s heart relied on the truth that he was God’s possession, as well as God’s servant.

“Long before Paul’s day, the assurance given in Deuteronomy 33:12 that ‘the beloved of the Lord [will] rest secure in him’ had conveyed rest and confidence to many an Israelite.

“Shall we not all rest in the same blessed fact? We are his by creation, his by redemption.

“We value and take care of our own possessions; we cherish and protect our loved ones; how much more does he, whose love and resources so infinitely exceed ours?

“God’s love has sustained us. It is unchanging because he is unchanging. He is the great Rock-foundation which alone cannot be shaken.

“We know not what the future may bring with it, but we know him who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We put our hand afresh in his, and say, ‘Lord, lead me on.’ “

WALK CLOSER TO GOD
For all the hardships and uncertainties Paul faced, you can certainly say one thing about his life: It wasn’t dull!

Yet Paul undoubtedly greeted each new day with the words, “Lord, lead me on.”

He trusted God with his future, knowing that he was already there. But above all, Paul was a conqueror in the strength that God supplied (see Romans 8:37).

That same strength is neither diluted nor diminished. And it is yours to draw upon today.