Having therefore obtained help of God

Acts 26:22

Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.

Paul the apostle has been brought before the greatest leaders of his time. Not only has he been brought before the governor, but also the regional king, and ultimately will be led to the great Roman Emperor. And this was a great opportunity that was afforded him, for it allowed him to share the marvelous truth of the gospel before these great leaders and all who were there present. The governor, Festus, found no fault in him, and therefore reserved him to be heard by King Agrippa. When Paul stands before King Agrippa, the king permits him to speak for himself, which permission was immediately utilized by the apostle. In eloquent and articulate terms, Paul spoke about his testimony from his youth to the present day. He speaks of his strict adherence to the Jewish religion, and of his incessant persecution of the believers who followed Jesus of Nazareth. He spoke of his madness and hatred against the saints, and his attempted destruction of their faith. But the accuser became the accused when a light from heaven struck him blind and grasped his attention on the road to Damascus. He and those with him immediately fell to the earth, dumbfounded and rendered as dead men for the glory of this light. As it turns out, the light was Jesus Christ Himself, the very One that Paul was giving every ounce of his strength, and every fiber of his being to persecute. The Lord introduced Himself to Paul as “Jesus, whom thou persecutest.” The Lord had called the very one who hated His cause the most to be the greatest proponent and most ardent defendant of the gospel that there ever was. The man who once insulted, assailed, and imprisoned the followers of Christ, would find himself locked up and bound in many a prison cell. Oh, the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His ways, and how marvelous is His working! For none other could change a heart of stone to a heart of flesh; a heart of adamant flint to a heart of tender compassion. But yet! But yet! All things are possible with God! The hardest can become the softest! The most hateful can become the most loving! The most implacable can become the most sensitive! The most merciless can become the most merciful! This is the grace of God!

But how did Paul have the strength to take the gospel to the ends of the earth? How did He continue on preaching the gospel despite all persecution, opposition, and condemnation from mankind? How did he speak before kings, and orate before governors? How did he preach in the synagogues and evangelize in the streets? How did he speak the mysterious truths of the gospel to a scowling world? How did he take the message of God’s love to a people that often hated him? There is, no doubt, one unifying answer. There is only one way to explain the power with which he was endowed. There is only one answer for his inexorable and unstoppable advance. And it is that he obtained help of God! By obtaining help of God, he witnessed to small and great! By obtained help of God he said none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come! By obtaining help of God he continued unto this day!

Oh, dear friend, there is also one singular way for you to continue. There is a single answer to your fears of witnessing. There is no solution but this! You must obtain help of God! For if you do, you shall be able to continue. If you obtain God’s help, you shall have the power to speak to the small as well as the great. By obtaining His help, you shall accomplish every purpose that the Lord has aligned for your life. Nothing shall stop you! Your life will not be dear unto yourself, because you are lost in Him! He is your help and strength! Every failure is a faith failure. Every failure occurs because we obtain only our own help. But, alas! Our help is anemic, listless, and weak. Oh, we must obtain His help! And how will you do this today? The answer is as easy as the question. You shall ask Him for it! Ask Him now! For He shall give you, as He did for the apostle, the help that you must obtain. Obtain His help for all things today!

“Dear Father, thank you for this great truth that has broken upon us this morning. We cannot do anything without your help. And we cannot continue without it. We must have it! We want to witness to small and great! We want to continue in your plan, your will, and your way. We desire your help. Allow us to obtain it today! For with your help we can do all things, and nothing shall be impossible for us! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”