The Unseen Hand

Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor.

Acts 24:1

As the keepers of the status quo put all their might into derailing Paul and his mission, God was always the on-site stage manager. As his enemies brought public charges against Paul, they didn’t assign this matter to an underling. The high priest himself was on hand to oversee the proceedings. The authorities also brought in a local lawyer, who was trained in the oratory of the court and experienced in bringing cases before the governor. In other words they “lawyered up.”

Paul stood alone—but he was not alone. His advocate was the Lord himself. We can see how the Holy Spirit gave Paul wisdom to know how to refute the charges and how to appeal to the governor. Paul had courage to speak and wisdom about what to say and how to say it. God was working out his own agenda to bring the message of the Messiah before Gentiles.

God promises us that he is always in control. No one else has power to manipulate our circumstances because God is in every scene, his unseen hand moving every actor.

Do you feel confronted right now? Do you find yourself in a seemingly helpless position while someone else calls the shots that impact your life? You can be sure that the Unseen Hand is moving. You do have an Advocate who is defending you and speaking on your behalf—not only in the courts of humanity and circumstance but in the heavenly courts. Your very situation is working toward an outcome that will have placed you where you need to be when you need to be there.

Lord, I entrust my cause to you. I know that you are advocating on my behalf and that you are faithful and true.

Because of the empty tomb, we have peace. Because of [Jesus’] resurrection, we can have peace during even the most troubling of times because we know He is in control of all that happens in the world.

Paul Chappell, contemporary American pastor