Sovereign Benefactor (Acts 23:16)

Now the son of Paul’s sister heard of their ambush, so he went and entered the barracks and told Paul.
– Acts 23:16

So let me give a little context around this. There is a group at this point in the book of Acts that has conspired to kill Paul. To set an ambush when he is traveling from one place to the next. And to kill him, they’ve strictly bound themselves Acts 23:14 says, by an oath to taste no food until they had killed Paul. So they’re not going to eat, they’re going to fast from all food until they have taken Paul’s life.

Acts 23:16 Narrates How God Guarded Paul’s Life for the Spread of the Gospel

Then you get to Acts 23:16. It says that this nephew of Paul’s, the son of Paul’s sister, heard about this ambush. So he goes and he tells Paul. Paul calls one of the centurions and says, “Hey, take this young man to the tribune for he has something to tell them.” And so he goes to the tribune, this nephew. He shares this news, and the tribune responds accordingly and makes sure Paul is protected. And he makes it safely from one place to the next.

And you might think, well, how we can pray according to that verse, Acts 23:16. Well, this verse is a really good reminder that our God is sovereign over the details of our lives. And our God is working amidst the details of our lives and in ways that we cannot see.

This nephew just so happened to be in a place where he heard about this ambush and Paul’s life was spared. So who is ultimately behind all of this? Well, God is. God is the author of every good gift. And God sovereignly orchestrated the details of Paul’s nephew’s day in such a way that he would hear about this ambush. I just want you to let that transform the way you think about your life today. We pray according to this all the time. Romans 8:28, that God really is working all things together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.

Acts 23:16 Encourages Us to Trust God’s Sovereignty

We’ve also prayed often about how there’s a mystery in how all this works together. And a mystery to God’s plans and purposes. Why He works in this way in some circumstances and in that way in another circumstance. But the bottom line, truth foundation is that we can trust the God who is in control of all things, to work all those things together for the good of those who love Him and been called according to His purpose.

So God, amidst all kinds of things we are going through in our lives right now, every one of us going through a variety of different things and I know a variety of different challenges in my own life, the lives of others who are praying right now, and we rest in the fact that you are sovereign over it all. And not just sovereign, but working in all of it for our good.

I think about Paul being in prison, having no idea what his nephew is doing one day, but you knew, you had ordained Paul’s nephew to be in a particular place at a particular time, to hear a particular plan plot to kill Paul, in a way that would preserve his life just as you had promised that you would preserve his life earlier in this chapter, that you would bring him to Rome. So God, we trust your promises will be fulfilled. Your purposes will be accomplished, and you will work all things together toward that end. And your promises and your purposes are for our good. All glory be to your name oh God. So help us to trust you today with the details we see and with the details we don’t see.

Praying for the Bharathar People

And God, we long for all the peoples of the world to have this kind of rest, this kind of confidence, this kind of hope, this kind of foundation to stand on in this world and for all of eternity. We pray for the spread of the gospel to the Bharathar people of India and Sri Lanka. And God, we pray that you would orchestrate all the details that are needed. Even today oh God, work things together for the spread of the gospel to the Bharathar people of Sri Lanka and India, for your glory among them, for their good, for their salvation. And we pray all this according to your word in Acts 23. In Jesus’ name, amen.