“The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’ The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot.” (Acts 23:11-13)
Is the world really controlled by a small group of rich and powerful intellectuals, i.e. the Illuminati? Do secret organizations, corporations, and governments mastermind world affairs? Are we all mere pawns on the world’s chessboard? These are the themes of many novels, films, TV shows, comics, and video games. They occupy us constantly.
The Bible tells us that the wicked and godless scheme against the righteous. They draw the sword and aim their arrows at those who trust in God. But the LORD laughs at them – because He knows their plans will come to nothing (Psalm 37:12-15).
And that’s just what happened in Acts 23. God assured Paul that just as he had solemnly testified about Jesus in Jerusalem, he would also testify in Rome. God Himself would bring Paul there. Yes, it’s true that forty men bound themselves by a curse to kill Paul or die trying. But God knew all about the plan and He mustered an entire battalion of soldiers to safely bring His servant into the custody of the Roman governor in Caesarea. We don’t know what became of those men who swore not to eat or drink until they killed Paul. But we know their plan came to nothing.
We worry about the conspiracies of the wicked and of the devil far too much. We should be praying, as Jesus commanded us, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). We should heed David’s other advice in Psalm 37, not to agitate ourselves but to rest in the LORD (Psalm 37:1-11). You see, we forget that God’s got a conspiracy of His own that always undermines and nullifies all the schemes of the wicked. And even though the devil and his cronies will hurl plenty of persecution, death, and destruction our way, Paul assures us that “in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Christ who loves us” (Romans 8:37). God is for us, so it doesn’t matter who is against us (Romans 8:31).
Are Red China, Russia, Iran, and George Soros scheming to bring down America? I’m sure they are. But your prayers to the Almighty on behalf of America will overthrow them all. Are white supremacists, the KKK, and other hate groups out to get you? Maybe, but God Almighty is out to bless you, save you, and glorify you in Heaven.
REFLECTION
- Are you allowing Satan to wear you out with worry and fear (Daniel 7:25)?
- Are you distracted from Jesus by all the activity of the godless and wicked?
- God has His own conspiracies to build His church, save the lost, and glorify His name. Let’s be a part of His plan which can never fail.
