Towards the end, Paul could remember and conclude from the prophet Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Jews “Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed: lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them” Acts 28:26-27. As he reconciled to this prophecy, sadly, his public ministry drew to a close. But the grace of God in its height abounded toward his servant in which he could write wonderful epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.
At times, man, in his zeal, may step outside the charted path of the Lord while serving Him, as was with Paul. But the Lord shows His abundant grace and turns this divergence into a great blessing, sometimes lasting for generations. We see how feeble man’s plans are and how amazing God’s grace is toward His servants. He is a faithful God and shows His faithfulness toward His servants because their zeal is genuine towards Him. They bear hearts that are honest and filled with love toward people.
May we consciously exercise to listen to the Spirit when addressed directly or through others to avoid many grievous losses. May God bless us to learn from these beautiful experiences of Apostle Paul and become a blessing to many. (with these inspired devotions, the works of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts conclude)
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