Acts 23-28

I love the book of Acts so much! It's really exciting to me. I'd love to write a novelization of it someday.

In chapter 23, Paul has been arrested and beaten by the Jewish officials in Jerusalem. There have been attempts on his life and lies hurled against him. I'm quite confidant that he sent up a prayer or two asking for his name to be cleared and to be released. In verse 11, Jesus sends him encouragement, but I doubt it was the encouragement he was hoping for.

Acts 23:11 (ESV)

The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome."

Get this: Jesus appears to Paul and informs him that he wants to use him in Rome the same way he's using him in Jerusalem! Talk about out of the frying pan into the fire! I believe sometimes the hard times we go through in life are not so we can see God deliver us, but so that God can use our difficult circumstances to deliver others. Sometimes our valleys are God's mountains!