Daily Devotion for August 17, 2006

No Sand

 

[In Corinth, Paul] met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. Acts 18:2-3, 11

 

Vanity license plates interest me. I enjoy deciphering them and figuring out what people are revealing about themselves. I saw a cryptic one yesterday: NO SAND. Are they beach-haters? Clean freaks? But then I thought this would have been the perfect license plate on Aquila and Priscilla’s wagon. In Matthew 7, Jesus tells a parable about the wise man building his house upon the rock, the strong foundation of faith, while the foolish man builds his house upon the shifting sand.

 

 Aquila and Priscilla seemed to live a sand-less life. Immigrants to Corinth because of religious persecution, they traveled 500 miles over land and sea to a land where language and customs were foreign. Shortly after they arrived another foreigner, a fellow tentmaker named Paul, approached them. Paul opened their eyes to the Savior of the world. They invited him to stay with them; grateful to have a skilled worker to help them establish their tent making business.

 

 The thing is, Paul was a houseguest who stayed for a year and a half. I’ve never had a stranger in my home for a year and a half, but I’ll bet it took some sacrifice and adjustment on everyone’s part.

 

 Paul also had some serious trouble with the law. Aquila and Priscilla were just getting settled in their new community. They were struggling to create a clientele and a good reputation, and their houseguest was creating controversy in the synagogue. By this time, he wasn’t even working for them any more, just preaching each day to the gentiles because he’d made the Jews so angry. If it were me, I may have had some serious doubts about my houseguest and God’s plan. But Aquila and Priscilla were “NO SAND” people. They didn’t let swirling controversy and inconvenience take their focus off of serving God. Their lives challenged others to become passionate Christ followers, no matter the timing or the cost.

 

Prayer
Lord Jesus, I too want to be a “NO SAND” believer. I want to look past my comfort, success and acceptance to serve you no matter the cost. Use me, Lord. Amen.

 

Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.

Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught?  Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.

Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
		333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101
		(866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476
		Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org
		E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org
At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference In People's Lives and In God's Kingdom