Acts 13: 22, 23 “…….He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Saviour–Jesus.”
Dear God,
In the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, Paul was invited to speak, and of course, as with all true believers of Jesus, he spoke on His favourite topic, which was You, God the Father. He spoke about Your past care, guidance and miraculous leading of the Israelite people down to the recent death and resurrection of Jesus. Fearlessly Paul proclaimed the risen Lord Jesus, as had Peter and the other apostles, and what this meant for mankind. Stephen a newly ordained deacon of the acts church fellowship had done so, before being stoned to death, whilst Paul (then named Saul) encouraged the Jewish crowd to stone Stephen to death. And now through Your grace Paul was telling his story and presenting salvation through the risen Jesus, just as fearlessly as Stephen.
Because You are God who is all knowing and all powerful, You knew the potential of Paul, and so in Your love and mercy, gave Paul a vision of Jesus in heaven. Paul was converted from a none believer in Jesus as God, to a full conversion, giving his whole heart and zeal to representing Jesus the risen Lord, to as many as he could.
In the introductory texts, Paul is representing You, as the God who knows all things, even knowing what was in the heart of Saul and David: two of the Israelite kings, the nation had demanded instead of You to be their god, so they could be like the other nations around about. They had been meant to be an example nation showing what it meant to love and worship the God of heaven; their leader/King. They demanded a human king, who was subject to all the same human passions and frailties that they were, spurning You the divine King, ruling from heaven.
Their first human king, Saul, was good looking and regal in bearing, but sadly was subject to pride and went on to not truly represent You to the people, and because of his disobedience and unfaithfulness. You no longer allowed him to continue as king; because he now represented himself and not his heavenly King and God. The next anointed king, was David, who was only a teenager when chosen, but You knew that he loved with his whole heart and would do Your will, the best he could.
Through David’s line of descendant’s, You raised up a Saviour – Jesus, not only to save the Jews, but we Gentiles also. After Christ the early church was growing every day, because the new converts and followers, also served You obediently with their whole hearts.
As we come down to the last days of earth, I pray for a renewal in the hearts and mind of many people so that we also will give You all our heart, obedience and service, as did the members of the newly converted Christians of Acts.
Amen