🕊️ PRAY HERE Devotion 🕊️ Running From The Truth!
Scripture: Acts 24:24–25 (NIV)
Verse 24: Felix and his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, sent for Paul and listened as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus.
Verse 25: As Paul discussed righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and dismissed him, saying he would call for Paul again when it was convenient.
(Scripture passage summarized from the NIV.)
Devotion :
Have you ever known someone who avoids hearing the truth?
They’re happy and comfortable as long as nobody says anything that makes them feel like they need to change!
You can talk to them about almost anything. But the moment you start addressing something they’re guilty of, they suddenly don’t want to hear it anymore!
THEY DON’T MIND HEARING THE TRUTH, JUST AS LONG AS IT ISN’T ABOUT THEM! 👀
Whewww! 😮💨
Think about when you were younger and you knew you had done something wrong.
THE LAST PLACE YOU WANTED TO GO WAS HOME!
Why?
Because you already knew your mama or daddy was going to tell you the truth about what you did!
You knew there was going to be a conversation, some correction, and possibly some consequences.
And the longer you could avoid going home, the longer you could avoid facing what you had done.
But did staying away from home change the truth?
NO!
You were still guilty of what you did!
You were just postponing having to deal with it!
And believe it or not, THERE ARE SOME GROWN FOLKS DOING THE SAME THING WITH GOD!
My, my, my! 🙏🏽
Some people enjoy watching sermons online. They’ll shout, clap, comment “AMEN!” and share the message when the preacher is talking about blessings, breakthroughs, and everything God is going to do for them!
BUT LET THAT PREACHER START COMING DOWN THEIR ROW! 👀
Let the message start addressing their attitude, unforgiveness, dishonesty, sexual immorality, pride, or the way they treat people.
Suddenly, they’re changing the channel!
Or if they’re sitting in church, they become uncomfortable. They stop paying attention. They start looking at their phones, thinking about what they’re going to eat afterward, or finding something else to occupy their minds.
THE SAME WORD THEY WERE ENJOYING FIVE MINUTES AGO HAS NOW BECOME A WORD THEY DON’T WANT TO HEAR!
Why?
Because now it’s speaking directly to something in their lives that needs to change.
WHAT THEY’RE REALLY TRYING TO AVOID IS CONVICTION!
And sometimes that’s why people avoid church, Bible study, certain conversations, or being around believers who will lovingly tell them the truth.
They don’t want to be confronted with what they already know isn’t right.
Let’s look at our Scripture for today.
In Acts chapter 24, we meet a Roman governor named Felix.
Paul was being held in custody, and Felix sent for him because he wanted to hear him speak about faith in Jesus Christ.
HE WANTED TO HEAR IT!
But something happened when Paul began preaching.
Paul started talking about RIGHTEOUSNESS, SELF-CONTROL, AND THE JUDGMENT TO COME!
OOOOOOEW WEEEEE! 😮💨🔥
PAUL STARTED COMING DOWN FELIX’S ROW!
He wasn’t just talking about believing in Jesus. He was addressing how people ought to live, the importance of controlling sinful desires, and the reality that we will answer to God.
And the Bible tells us that FELIX BECAME AFRAID!
That truth was eating him up!
He had heard enough!
In essence, Felix told Paul, “THAT’S ENOUGH FOR NOW! I’LL CALL FOR YOU WHEN IT’S CONVENIENT!”
Whewww!
THE TRUTH HAD MADE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE!
And instead of responding to what he heard, Felix dismissed the man who was preaching it!
Now here’s something important. Scripture tells us that Felix did speak with Paul on other occasions afterward. But we are never told that Felix repented or surrendered his life to Christ. In fact, he eventually left Paul imprisoned.
FELIX KEPT HIS DISTANCE FROM THE DECISION THE TRUTH WAS CALLING HIM TO MAKE!
And isn’t that what some of us do?
We don’t necessarily reject every sermon.
We don’t mind reading Scripture.
We don’t mind hearing somebody talk about God.
WE JUST DON’T WANT THE TRUTH TO REQUIRE ANYTHING FROM US!
We’ll listen as long as it makes us feel good.
We’ll agree as long as it’s correcting somebody else.
But when the Word starts exposing something about US, we get uncomfortable!
And rather than asking God to help us change, WE PUT ON OUR RUNNING SHOES! 🏃🏽♀️
Let me ask you something.
Have you ever stopped to examine WHY you change the channel when certain subjects come up?
Why do you keep scrolling when you see a devotion that speaks directly to something you’re guilty of?
Why do you avoid talking to Brother So-and-so or Sister So-and-so?
Why do you allow yourself to become distracted and inattentive when the Word of God is being taught?
COULD IT BE THAT GOD IS TRYING TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING IN YOU THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO FACE?
My, my, my!
I almost titled today’s devotion “Terrified By Truth!”
Because that’s exactly what happened to Felix!
The truth frightened him!
He didn’t want to hear about righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment because those were matters he needed to take seriously in his own life.
But here’s what I want us to understand today:
AVOIDING THE TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE THE TRUTH! AND IT CERTAINLY DOESN’T CHANGE US!
You can turn the sermon off.
You can stop reading the devotion.
You can avoid the person who lovingly corrects you.
You can even stop going to church.
BUT NONE OF THAT CHANGES WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY SAID!
And it doesn’t make the consequences of sin disappear.
John 8:32 says:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (KJV)
Notice that Jesus connects truth with freedom!
THE VERY TRUTH YOU’RE RUNNING FROM MAY BE THE TRUTH THAT CAN HELP SET YOU FREE! 🙌🏽🔥
God’s Word doesn’t expose our sin simply to make us feel bad.
It reveals what needs to change so that we can repent, receive His forgiveness, and begin walking in obedience to Him.
CONVICTION IS NOT SOMETHING WE SHOULD KEEP RUNNING FROM!
It’s an opportunity to get things right with God!
And don’t confuse conviction with condemnation. God is not calling us to remain buried in shame. He is calling us to turn from sin and come to Jesus Christ, who offers forgiveness and new life.
But we have to be willing to face the truth!
YOU CANNOT CHANGE WHAT YOU KEEP REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE!
And please don’t make the mistake Felix made by continually putting off your response.
He wanted a more convenient time.
But when is it ever going to be convenient to confront something you don’t want to change?
STOP WAITING FOR A CONVENIENT TIME TO OBEY GOD!
If His Word is speaking to you, LISTEN!
If He’s correcting you, RECEIVE IT!
If He’s calling you to repent, REPENT!
And if you haven’t surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, don’t keep postponing that decision!
THE TRUTH IS NOT YOUR ENEMY!
It may make you uncomfortable.
It may expose something you’ve been trying to hide.
It may require you to change some things you enjoy doing.
BUT THE TRUTH IS STILL THE TRUTH!
And running from it will never make you free.
STOP RUNNING FROM THE TRUTH AND START ALLOWING THE TRUTH TO CHANGE YOU! 🙌🏽🙏🏽💙
✍🏽 Reflect & Respond
Today, I want you to be completely honest with yourself.
Is there a truth in God’s Word that makes me uncomfortable because it addresses something I’m guilty of?
Have I been avoiding certain sermons, Scriptures, or conversations because I don’t want to be corrected?
What have I been putting off changing, even though I know God has been dealing with my heart about it?
And here’s the question I really want you to sit with:
AM I RUNNING FROM THE TRUTH BECAUSE I DON’T WANT TO CHANGE?
Don’t just identify what needs to change.
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Confess it to God. Repent. Ask Him for help. And take the necessary steps toward obedience.
DON’T BE LIKE FELIX, WAITING FOR A MORE CONVENIENT TIME!
🙏🏽 Prayer
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I’ve avoided Your truth because I didn’t want to face what needed to change about me. Lord, help me stop running from conviction and start responding to Your Word with humility and obedience. Give me the courage to be honest about my sins, the willingness to repent, and the strength to change. Remove every excuse and every distraction that keeps me from hearing You. Father, let Your truth change my heart and my life. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen. 🙏🏽💙
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