Look Again, God Is At Work–Scripture Reflection #029

Acts 8:1,4 (New Living Translation)

1 … A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. 4 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.

After the death of Stephen, the first martyr of Christianity, the believers in Jerusalem were scattered to the surrounding cities. While this seemed a major blow to the budding movement, God intended it for good. We see that shortly after they were scattered, the believers began spreading the Good news wherever they went, exponentially increasing the size of the early Church, and fulfilling Jesus’ call to spread the Good News to all the nations of the earth. 

We see God use this strategy time and time again with His people. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers into slavery, but God ended up setting him in charge of the very city he was once a slave and prisoner in. He was then able to save the lives of many when a famine came upon the land. He says to his brothers in Genesis 50, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Again, we see this story through the life of Daniel and his friends when they were taken into exile to Babylon. God gave them favor in the eyes of their captors, and they were put in positions of authority over the land. Daniel’s influence stretched to King Nebuchadnezzar himself, as we see the king declare the sovereignty of God on multiple occasions, saying on one such occasion, “Truly your God is the greatest of gods, the Lord over kings…”

So what’s the point? God often makes or allows a situation to go “bad” so that His people can have a chance to do the most good. Look at your circumstances with a new perspective today; God may be putting you in a position to do good in someone else’s life.