BASKET CASE

July 24

Bible Reading: Acts 9:20-25

Acts 9:25, “But his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a basket.”

Rejected by a mission society, and yet determined to serve, Gladys Aylward spent her life savings on a train passage to China. That dangerous journey took her across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway at a time of fighting between Russia and China.  The Russians detained her, but she evaded them and make her way to a Japanese ship.  Another ship took her to China.  Then she endured a long trip across China to her mission station.  Upon arrival at her post, the locals threw stones at her.  But God kept her safe.  She was later much used by Him to evangelize a region and even save many lives.

God worked a miracle in saving Saul.  He who had despised the followers of Christ, had become one himself.  He proclaimed Jesus to be the Son of God.  The Jews were none too happy with their former friend.  He’d been leading the way in the effort to eradicate Christians, but now he’d betrayed them.  Worse than that, his radical transformation and bold witness both confounded and frustrated them.  They met his first preaching opportunity with intense opposition and even plotted to kill him.  But God providentially worked—as he would countless times henceforth—to protect him.  His disciples put him in a basket and let him down through an opening in the wall.

Jack Arnold, “This was one of the most meaningful experiences in Paul’s life.  Why?  He was learning humility and dependence upon Christ for success.  He was learning that heritage, education, background, position and even zeal did not make one a success for Christ.  He was learning that God did not need his abilities as much as his availability.  Without this humiliating experience Paul would have never learned how much he needed Christ to carry out His ministry through Paul.  Paul also had to learn that when he preached primarily to the Jews, he caused trouble, for God was slowly teaching this young man that his preaching ministry was to the Gentiles primarily.”

“He would be a missionary simpleton who expected plain sailing in any work of God.”—James O. Fraser

GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.

Refrain:
God will take care of you,
through ev’ry day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.

Through days of toil when heart doth fail,
God will take care of you;
When dangers fierce your path assail,
God will take care of you. [Refrain]

No matter what may be the test,
God will take care of you;
Lean, weary one, upon his breast,
God will take care of you. [Refrain]