A WORD FOR TODAY, September 20, 2022
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 20, 2022
“When he had said these words, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves. Paul stayed two whole years in his own rented house and received all who were coming to him, preaching God’s Kingdom, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance.” Acts 28:29-31, WEB
I recently finished the ninth novel in a series that I have been enjoying for several years. About halfway through the book, I felt like the author was finally reaching the end of the story. The main character through these books is growing older, and he has always led a dangerous life. The storyline was hinting toward a conclusion of his life. At the same time, however, the author developed some of the other characters. About three quarters into the book, I realized that she was not going to able bring the old stories or the new ones to a suitable conclusion. I looked her up, and she has announced that the tenth book is on its way. Of course, I wanted that next book immediately. She ended the last book on a note that made me want the next one. Now I must wait. I’m sure she probably has plans for many more books in this series, and I will have to wait anxiously for each new book to be released.
It is an artistic technique to end a story with a cliff hanger. We have seen it in television shows. Cliff hangers leave us anxiously awaiting the return of our favorite shows and the commercials build up our excitement. One of the most memorable cliff hangers was the 1980 season finale of the television show “Dallas.” The main villain was shot and we spent the summer of 1980 contemplating and arguing about who did it. “Who shot J.R.?” was the ongoing topic until November 21st when they finally revealed the killer. Cliff hangers keep the story alive and draw us into the mystery.
I’ve often wondered about this end to the book of Acts. Why didn’t Luke tell us what happened next? Why don’t we hear about Paul’s trial and about what happened to him after he left Rome? We know by Paul’s letters that he was set free after the two years and that he continued to travel and preach the Gospel, but some of this life has been left as a mystery for us. I’m reading about Paul right now, and it seems that every writer, and there are many, has a different theory of Paul’s life after the end of the book of Acts. We are left with a cliff hanger and I’m not sure we’ll get our answers in this lifetime.
Luke’s book ends on a high note. Even though he was experiencing a difficult time, Paul continued to do what he was called to do: preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He survived the ordeal and went out to continue the work. Yet, even if he had perished in Rome, the story of Christ’s kingdom did not end with Paul. The cliff hanger leads us to want to know what happened next, to read other stories about the early church. We see these in not only the letters found in the New Testament, but also in the witnesses of the early church fathers. The story is not yet complete because there is always a new generation to hear the Gospel, believe, and go out to continue the work Jesus began through Paul and the apostles two thousand years ago. If the Bible held every story of every Christian witness, we could not house the book on the earth.
Have you ever tried to write your story? Journaling has become a popular way to consider our faith and our Christian journey. Some people have had the opportunity to share their testimony with others. When I began this devotion and my website twenty+ years ago, I wrote a page with my story. I haven’t updated it since we left England. My story has changed dramatically. We were in the military, in a foreign country. Our children were very young. Twenty+ years later, my children are grown, and my husband is retired and is working a much different job. We’ve lived in several homes in a couple states, and we have settled in Texas. I’ve worked a few jobs, I’ve developed my art, I’ve made new friends, and become a Bible teacher. The devotion has changed as I have grown as a writer and in my knowledge of the scriptures. Yet, even if I tried to complete it today, it would be outdated tomorrow because God's grace changes our lives every day as we grow in faith and move closer to the day we will receive every promise of God. Luke left us with a cliff hanger about Paul’s life, but we know that Paul’s story was just one part of God’s eternal story which will never end.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org
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