Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Acts 25 and Psalm 93

By the time Felix was replaced as Governor by Festus, Paul had still not offered him a bribe for his release, so he remained imprisoned in Caesarea. Festus, a man of justice and action, immediately got the ball rolling. He investigated Paul’s case and convened the court to hear evidence. When no actual evidence of a crime against Rome was produced by the Jewish authorities, Festus was inclined to approve their request for Paul to be sent to Jerusalem to stand trial in their religious courts. But Paul was not about to give up the opportunity to take the Gospel to the capital of the world, the City of Rome, so he stood on his rights as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar. Festus’ hands were tied by the law, and God’s sovereign plan continued to unfold.

However, before Paul could be sent to Rome, King Agrippa (the great grandson of Herod the Great who had tried to murder Jesus as a baby) and his sister Bernice arrived to pay their respects to the new governor. Thinking that a Jewish “king” might be able to see something that he had missed, Festus consulted Agrippa on the matter of Paul. A hearing was arranged and Luke writes that “Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room.”

The Greek word translated as “pomp” is “fantasia”. That’s a stark reminder that their sense of self-importance and self-aggrandisement was nothing but a fantasy! They liked to believe that they had great power and importance, but Paul lived under the sovereign authority and care of the King of kings and Lord of lords. His future destiny did not rest in the hands of any earthly king. It rested purely in the hands of King Jesus. Although he was a physical prisoner, Paul was completely free spiritually.

Life application: Receive the Word of the Lord today. You are in Christ, and therefore your life and your future is completely in His hands. Nothing can ever snatch you away from Him. Nothing can derail His ultimate plan and purpose for your life if you will stay surrendered to Him. With Jesus, the best is yet to come! Not even prison could change that for Paul. And nothing can change it for us either. Celebrate this today!