PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW
ACTS 28:3-6 NKJV
3 But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 So when the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, "No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he has escaped the sea, yet justice does not allow to live." 5 But he shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm. 6 However, they were expecting that he would swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But after they had looked for a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
We are living in a day when the opinion of the crowd has a loud voice. But loud does not always mean accurate. What happened to Paul is a great example.
After escaping to the island of Malta after the shipwreck, Paul is helping build a fire. A snake came out of a bundle of sticks and bit him on the hand. And not just a quick bite; this nasty snake was hanging on to Paul's hand.
Paul did not freak out, causing my admiration for him to grow by leaps and bounds. Instead, he shook the snake off into the fire. Which, in my opinion, is the best place for all snakes.
And then Paul goes about his business as if nothing had happened. But the natives of this island concluded that Paul was a murderer and deserved to die. Because Paul lived through the shipwreck, in their opinion, the snake was justice being served.
If this had happened today, there would be all kinds of Instagram and Twitter videos of that snake hanging from Paul's hand. Combined with posts of justice being served and evil people getting what they deserve.
So, the people waited for Paul to swell up or fall down dead. It did not appear that anyone offered help. Maybe this kind of snake was a known killer. But in any case, all the people expected Paul to die.
But people just don't know. Paul did not die, so everyone had to repost and declare that this man was supernatural, a god.
People just don't know. They were wrong about Paul on all accounts.
APPLICATION:
I am so grateful that Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to help us. He is the Spirit of truth. And with so much deception in our world today, we need to look to Him to help us determine what is true and right.
God's word and God's Spirit are even more vital as we enter these last days. People just don't know.
I am becoming more and more reluctant to believe what I hear and see from the news, social media, and a lot of people. If it does not line up with scriptures or witness with my heart, I pretty much leave it alone. Paul did not correct those natives, and I don't consider it my job to straighten everyone out. But I am convinced that people just don't know.
PRAYER:
Lord help me discern what is true and right. Thank you for Your word and the Holy Spirit’s guidance