Scripture
Our verse for today is from Acts 28:20, ” For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. “
Background
In today’s world, we sometimes forget just how easy we have it. Hardly a week goes by when the tech world doesn’t add some new feature to our cell phones, stopping only just short of the food replicator or the transporter capabilities from Star Trek . Every piece of information we need, every bill to pay, every service that we require, and all the food we can order can be done through that small device. It will remember all our numbers, record all our memories, transmit all our messages, and remind us of all our appointments. It seems impossible to conceive of us ever forgetting anything. Well, Paul had a different kind of reminder working for him, and they were the chains that were bound around his ankles.
As he was transported to Rome, every step he took reminded him of why he was called to be an apostle.
He carried with him the reminder of why he was sent by God. It was the hope of Israel, Jesus the Messiah. His chains bore out the fact that he was a slave of Jesus Christ, bound to him for eternity. Subject to Him in all things. Dependent on Him for everything.
Application
But what are we bound to today? What chains are wrapped around our ankles, our wallets, our hearts? What are we dependent on, committed to, or caught up in? We sometimes have so many chains tangled around us that we don’t even realize it. What we think is our full commitment to God turns out to be a small portion of our selves, the part that is left over after these other responsibilities are met. We might think that God is the only One we are serving, but the chains of life have bound us much more than we care to admit. And each of us has our own shackles, the specific masters that demand our time and attention. But let them be a reminder to us, a reminder that we are bound to a higher calling. A reminder that One bought us with His life. A reminder that the hope of Israel should be your only hope, your only King, your only Lord.
Charge
As we seek Him today, set yourself a reminder to keep your focus on Jesus. Undo some of those chains of the world that are bound around your heart. Ask God to free you up to be a slave for Him.
