From The Desk of:

The Trail of Innocence that Follows.

   Acts Chapter Twenty-Five records the Apostle Paul being dragged into court for being a Christian and teaching a risen Savior. Festus, a Roman governor, found that Paul had committed no crime and was puzzled about why his enemies wanted him to die. Acts 25:18-19 “When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.” Paul’s speech and example moved Festus to investigate the situation more. Scripture teaches that we are to live godly before unbelievers so that they can see and glorify God (1 Pet. 2:12). We open the door to salvation by how we treat people; by the same measure, the door can be closed when our ill-treatment of them turns a person off.

     I tend to believe people unless they speak against someone negatively. I am obligated to want to know why they are saying this. The Bible tells of some as being self-seeking (Romans 2:28), which speaks of selfish ambitions, rivalry, and a strong desire to have a following. The enemies of Paul called him everything but a child of God. Everything they said was not true but self-seeking. Your trail of innocence will move people to see if the rumors are true and not assume they are. Your innocence will drive people to give you grace.

    As Paul made his defense, he remained focused on his task. The governor walked away, ascertaining that Paul believed in someone named Jesus who died and is alive.

    Paul accomplished his purpose in testifying and proclaiming Jesus without taking the bait of arguing with his enemies. Whenever you argue with someone, you have taken the bait. Whenever we take the bait, we walk away more damaged than we were. If we stopped taking it, we would allow ourselves time to heal.

    God allowed you to wake up this morning. There is bait lying around everywhere you go. I encourage you to leave it alone and bite off your purpose for living instead. You will never understand everything in life and why bad things have happened. It’s not your job to know everything. It is your job to live your life for God. And as you live, leave a trail of innocence that keeps the door open for all.

©Sept 2, 2023, Courtney Henderson