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Day’s Verse:

At the same time too, [Felix] was hoping that money would be given him by Paul; therefore he also used to send for him quite often and converse with him. But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

Acts 24:26-27

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Survey Question: What screen resolution does your monitor have?

Bonus Round: If you can correctly tell me what today’s title means, I will grant you the Most Amazing Web-Searcher award.

I read Acts 24 this morning and was struck by Paul’s plight. Here he was taken and charged for disturbing the peace, and was passed between two other magistrates before he reached Felix, the governor. Then Felix kept putting off making a judgment because he wants to extort some grandiose sum from Paul, until Felix’s replacement appears. Imagine being in Paul’s situation: waiting two years and often speaking with a guy who has the power to free you if he wanted to, but all that guy understands is dollar signs. So you kept waiting, and although he granted you some amount of freedom, you were still imprisoned. And then when he left, all those conversations and the scant freedom he allowed you vanished because he wanted to please his constituents before leaving office (which our Presidents do often enough; as lame ducks they often push through veritable political-suicide bills that otherwise they wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole).

Paul truly was an amazing man of faith. In his position I would have been howling for lawyers, citing various laws, scratching and clawing my way out. But Paul accepted God’s plan and didn’t fight it – which gave him opportunities that we who try to control our lives too much probably miss.

– KF –