Have you ever been wrongly accused of something? Have you done something correctly but been accused of doing it wrong? How did you feel about that? Did you feel dejected? Did you feel abandoned by God? Did it all work out in the end? Did you praise God?
Being wrongly accused of something can cause us to be defensive and angry. Being accused of doing something wrong, even though we did it correctly can cause us to be frustrated and confused. We may wonder what we did wrong and feel like we are being singled out.
The Apostle Paul and his traveling companion, Silas, like felt all those things while they were in Philippi. There was a female slave who could tell the future. She could see that Paul and Silas served God. She followed them around proclaiming this, likely in a loud voice like a town crier giving a warning of enemy soldiers approaching. After several days of this, Paul turned on her and cast out the spirit that allowed her to make her proclamations.
When her owners realized she could no longer make them money by foretelling the future, they captured Paul and Silas. They brought them before the city authorities, who also functioned as judge and jury in the Roman legal system. We are not told that Paul or Silas defended themselves, unlike other times Paul was brought before Roman authorities. Based on what is recorded, it appears Paul and Silas simply accepted the punishment assigned.
What can we learn from this example? First, Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit. We can reasonably assume Paul knew God planned to use this incident for his purposes. Second, Paul and Silas submitted to God’s plan. Third, Paul and Silas believed God was using them to spread the gospel and this was merely a speed bump.
I pray we all seek to be in sync with God’s plan. I pray we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us. I pray each one of us trust God has a plan and we choose to follow his plan for our lives. Listen for the Holy Spirit. Follow his guidance. Know God has a plan. Trust God. Follow his plan for your life.
Acts 16:19 But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.
Marty Pressey 