Day 276 "Anything is Possible"

Passage: Acts 18:8

Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized. 

Devotion:

Previously, Paul symbolically "shook out his clothes in protest and said to the Jews, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." Now we find that despite what Paul felt was the lack of progress (in fact outright opposition), somehow God's Word had taken hold and even Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue believed. That is truly amazing to me.

I have watched more college football this year than I think I have ever watched, and you know why? It's because the favorite team has not won in so many cases. This has been one of those unpredictable seasons when nothing has gone according to plan and upsets have happened so frequently the word has almost lost its meaning. For example, Appalachian State beating Michigan, and 41 point underdog Stanford beating USC. To make it all consistent, in the final week of the season the number one ranked team in the country Missouri doesn't just lose but gets spanked by number 9 ranked Oklahoma, 38-17, while the number 2 ranked team, West Virginia is beaten by Pittsburgh thereby eliminating its championship hopes as well. Overall this year the number two ranked teams have lost an incredible seven times, six to unranked teams! This stuff just doesn't happen, especially this often. It has really made watching football fun because you just never know how it will turn out.

As I read our passage today I couldn't help thinking of a football analogy, probably because I spent most of yesterday (Saturday) watching it. If everything went according to plan or the opinion of experts, then what purpose would there be in trying anything? But things don't always work out the way we expect. Who would have thought that in the middle of Paul's frustration with the Jews, Crispus the leader of the synagogue would become a believer? The point I'm trying to make is even when the mission you are on (or about to start) looks pretty grim and the prospect for success seems unlikely, be encouraged, because our God is in the business of miracles. After all if Appalachian State can beat Michigan, anything is possible!

Questions to Ponder:

Our passage today is this one little innocuous verse that gives me such great hope and encouragement, why? Because despite the fact Paul may have felt defeated, God turned Paul's efforts into great victory -- Crispus and his whole household believed. It means to me that all I need to do is try, attempting to do my best and God will do the rest, even when I think I've failed. What mission or ministry has God placed on your heart? Have you accepted defeat before you've started or finished? How do you know what kind of an impact you might make unless you try? When will you start? How about right now?