Latest / Bible Chat Devotional / February 23 - Unshaken in the Storm

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February 23 - Unshaken in the Storm · Bible Chat Devotional

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  Welcome to Bible Chat, where we have devotional conversations
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  rooted in Scripture and relevant for today, February 23rd.
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  Unshaken in the storm. Have you ever felt like trouble?
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  Just kept stacking up one thing after another until you wondered
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  how much more you could take? Like no matter what you did, the
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  pressure didn't let up. Rumors spread.
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  People misunderstand you. Doors seem to close and you
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  start asking yourself, is this ever going to change?
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  Those moments can shake you deeply if you do know where to
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  stand. Proverbs Chapter 11, verses 7 to
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  8 gives us a sharp contrast. It says that when the wicked
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  dies, his hope perishes, but the righteous is delivered from
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  trouble. That doesn't mean righteous
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  people never face trouble. It means trouble doesn't get the
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  final word over their lives. Hope rooted in anything
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  temporary eventually collapses, but hope rooted in God stands
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  firm even in storms. We see this played out
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  powerfully in Acts chapter 23. Paul is surrounded by conflict.
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  Religious leaders are angry, plots are forming.
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  His life is in real danger. From the outside, it looks like
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  everything is spiraling out of control.
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  But then something incredible happens.
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  Acts chapter 23 verse 11 tells us that the Lord stood by Paul
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  and said take courage, not escape.
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  Now not everything will be easy, but take courage.
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  Jesus reminds Paul that his story isn't over.
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  He tells him that just as he testified in Jerusalem, he will
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  also testify in Rome. That moment changes everything.
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  Paul's circumstances don't immediately improve, but his
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  perspective does. Jesus is letting him know.
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  I see the storm, I know the threats, and I already know the
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  outcome. Paul didn't need all the
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  details. He needed courage rooted in
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  God's promise. This is such an important truth
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  for us. God doesn't always remove the
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  storm right away, but He always meets us in it.
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  He stands with us. He strengthens us.
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  He reminds us that what we're facing right now is not the end
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  of the story. The enemy may plot, people may
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  accuse, and circumstances may feel overwhelming, but none of
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  that can override God's purpose for your life.
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  When you walk in God's ways, trouble doesn't define you, it
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  refines you. The righteous may be surrounded
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  by chaos, but they are not abandoned to it.
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  God knows how to deliver, sometimes by changing the
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  situation, and sometimes by strengthening you to walk
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  through it with courage. So if you're feeling overwhelmed
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  today, hear these words as if Jesus is speaking them directly
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  to you. Take courage.
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  God sees where you are, He knows where He's taking you, and no
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  storm, rumor, or challenge can shake what He has planned for
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  your life. Let's pray.
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  Heavenly Father, thank You that You see me in the middle of
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  every challenge I face. When life feels overwhelming and
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  uncertain, remind me that You are standing with me.
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  Speak courage into my heart when fear tries to take over.
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  Help me trust Your bigger plan. Even when I can't see the next
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  step. I choose to walk in Your ways
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  and hold onto Your promises, knowing that You will see me
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  through every storm in Jesus name, Amen.
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  sustains all things. Yahweh draws you into
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  relationship with the eternal I AM who is present and faithful.
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  Adonai calls you to surrender to the Lord and Master who leads
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  and directs your steps. El Elyon reveals the God Most
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  High, exalted above every power and authority.
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  El Shaddai introduces the all sufficient God who nourishes and
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  strengthens you. El Olam anchors your faith in
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  the everlasting God whose purposes never fail.
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  Elroy assures you that you are seen, known, and cared for by a
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  compassionate father, and El Gibor awakens confidence in the
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  mighty God who defends, delivers, and prevails.
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  scripts, this series teaches you to pray from revelation, worship
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  Now I invite you to spend time with God in today's three-year
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  Bible reading plan. Proverbs Chapter 11 verses 7 to
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  8 World English Bible When a wicked man dies, hope perishes
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  and expectation of power comes to nothing.
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  A righteous person is delivered out of trouble and the wicked
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  takes his place. Acts chapter 23 World English
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  Bible Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, Brothers,
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  I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.
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  The high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him
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  to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, God will
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  strike you, you whitewashed wall.
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  Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be
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  struck contrary to the law? Those who stood by said, Do you
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  malign God's high priest? Paul said, I didn't know,
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  brothers, that he was high priest, For it is written, You
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  shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.
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  But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the
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  other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brothers, I
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  am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees.
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  Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead, I am
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  being judged. When he had said this, an
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  argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the
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  crowd was divided. For the Sadducees say that there
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  is no resurrection, nor Angel, nor spirit.
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  But the Pharisees confess all of these.
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  A great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees
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  part stood up and contended, saying, We find no evil in this
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  man, but if a spirit or Angel has spoken to him, let's not
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  fight against God. When a great argument arose, the
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  commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by
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  them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force
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  from among them, and bring him into the barracks.
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  The following night the Lord stood by him and said, Cheer up,
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  Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you
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  must testify also at Rome. When it was day, some of the
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  Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying
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  that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed
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  Paul. There were more than 40 people
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  who had made this conspiracy. They came to the chief priests
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  and the elders and said, We have bound ourselves under a great
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  curse to taste nothing until we have killed Paul.
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  Now, therefore, you, with the council, inform the commanding
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  officer that he should bring him down to you tomorrow, as though
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  you were going to judge his case more exactly.
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  We are ready to kill him before he comes near.
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  But Paul's sister's son heard they were lying in wait, and he
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  came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.
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  Paul summoned one of the centurions and said, Bring this
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  young man to the commanding officer, for he has something to
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  tell him. So he took him and brought him
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  to the commanding officer and said, Paul, the prisoner
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  summoned me and asked me to bring this young man to you.
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  He has something to tell you. The commanding officer took him
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  by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately.
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  What is it that you have to tell me?
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  He said The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to
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  the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat
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  more accurately concerning him. Therefore don't yield to them,
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  for more than 40 men lie in wait for him who have bound
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  themselves under a curse to neither eat nor drink until they
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  have killed him. Now they are ready looking for
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  the promise from you. So the commanding officer let
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  the young man go charging him. Tell no one that you have
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  revealed these things to me. He called to himself two of the
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  centurions and said, Prepare 200 soldiers to go as far as
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  Caesarea with 70 horsemen and 200 men armed with Spears.
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  At the third hour of the night he asked them to provide mounts
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  that they might set Paul on one and bring him safely to Felix
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  the governor. He wrote a letter like this.
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  Claudius Elijah's to the most excellent governor.
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  Felix. Greetings.
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  This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by
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  them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having
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  learned that he was a Roman. Desiring to know the cause why
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  they accused him, I brought him down to their counsel.
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  I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not
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  to be charged with anything worthy of death or of
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  imprisonment. When I was told that the Jews
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  lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging
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  his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before
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  you farewell. So the soldiers, carrying out
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  their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Auntie
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  Patras. But on the next day they left
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  the horseman to go with him and returned to the barracks.
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  When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the
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  Governor, they also presented Paul to him.
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  When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was
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  from. When he understood that he was
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  from Cilicia, he said I will hear you fully when your
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  accusers also arrive. He commanded that he be kept in
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  Herod's palace. Thanks for joining us on Bible
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  Chat, where Scripture meets everyday life.
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  If today's devotional encouraged you, share it with a friend and
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  be sure to follow the podcast so you won't miss the next
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  conversation. Until next time, stay rooted in
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  truth, anchored in hope, and walking daily with Jesus.