Agitation
Have you ever met anyone that made you feel a bit agitated, but you really did not know why? They had not done anything “wrong.” In fact, they said all the “right” words. You decided to lay the agitation aside because there really was no reason for it. Sometime later, you came to understand what all the agitation was about.
This was the background for Paul in Acts 16:16-18, “It happened that as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave-girl having a spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, “These men are bond servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation.” 18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.” (NASB).
We live in a time that divination and other cult practices are rampant. We don’t have to go very far to hear about good witches/bad witches, magic spells, and curses. We see it on television, even in the cartoons the children watch. This is a serious time indeed!
As Christians, we have the same authority and power that Paul demonstrated against the spirit of divination. Remember, not everyone will be happy about your exercise of it. Acts 16 continues with an adverse response from the girl’s masters. “But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.” (Acts 16: 19-21).
Sometimes, the exercise of the gifts God gave to us will cost us dearly. We must not operate in fear. There is divine purpose for every spiritual gift God gave to the Church. Not many ever talk about that slave-girl who got set free. Did her life have value? Did Jesus come to set others free but not her? Hmm! Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown in prison for their random act of kindness to a slave-girl.
Let’s look around us. Who are the “whosoever” that we can reach out to with the Gospel that sets free? Do we bury our heads in the sand or do we take a stand? Can we reach the drug addict or the homosexual? Or have Biblical values been replaced by man-made laws? There are some tough issues facing the nation and the church right now, right here in America.
Let the Holy Spirit lead us to those who need the Lord. Let Him order our steps in the way that is pleasing to Him. He is able to shine the light into dark places and uncover that which was hidden. He never said it would be easy. In fact, He said quite the opposite, “In the world you will have tribulation…” (John 16:33).
Go ahead and let the Lord have His way. Let Him use YOU!
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