Away from home for a couple of days for one of my “extended quiet time” breaks from the oppressiveness of living in a city, I was settled in bed one evening, continuing in my evening bible reading in Acts. I’m not consistent in bible reading before bedtime and so have been making slow progress in this! This evening however, being enabled to really “feed” on what I was reading I was unexpectedly stopped as I came to the striking words of the apostle Paul as recorded at Acts 24:15-16:
‘I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.’
Has this truth really sunk in me as deep as it should? Do I truly know and believe with all my heart – and with the due seriousness this truth demands – ‘that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust’? Unfortunately – perhaps? – before I began my reading, I had taken a sleeping pill and so didn’t get far with thinking on this before the effects of it overtook me. But what a thought to take into my sleep! Writing this post now, although I have long believed the truth of this Scripture I know I often fall short of being as consciously mindful if it as I ought.
May the Lord Yeshua help us all to follow the example of the apostle Paul to ‘always strive to have a conscience without offence toward God and men’ in living to please God our heavenly Father. I’m so thankful for the word which comes to my heart just now in writing this post, at Jude verses 24-23:
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Saviour,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.
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