My wife and I have raised 5 children. One of the lessons we have learned through the years is to “choose our battles.” Some things are simply not as important as other things! What we rehearse in our minds is one area for the believer that is a crucial battle to fight. The believer must wage war on the field of his mind! The battle of the mind plays a foundational role in our waiting on God. Let’s consider the context of Paul’s life while he waits on God.
THE DELAY (25:6)
Festus waits another 10 days before heading to sit on the judgment seat in Caesarea. There is no rush to hear Paul’s case and Paul continues a long waiting period under house arrest (2 years of waiting in this position!).
Among some of the hardest things we are called to do is to wait. We have a tendency to wage this battle in our minds. We start thinking the wrong way and derail ourselves with questions like:
What is Festus going to say?
What will the Jews accuse me of this time?
What witnesses could they possibly bring at this trial?
Will Festus be fair or make an example of me?
Will Festus want to make the Jews happy at my expense for political gain?
For Paul, this delay meant waiting for judgment and the outcome of his fate. Waiting for each of us often brings fear, anxiety, restlessness, anger, and wild imaginations of information that we created ourselves. The believer must wage war on the field of his mind! This is a VERY real battle!
God addresses this battle often.
II Corinthians 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee.”
Proverbs 23:7, “For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
Romans 12:2, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
MORE LIES
The Jews continued to make false accusations they could not prove. First, accusations were made to the Centurion, then to the Sanhedrin, then to Felix, and now to Festus. Paul points to the complete lack of proof. When will the lies end?!
Between 2015 and 2022 a man had received 51 tickets for traffic violations. He had only paid two of the fines until it was discovered that been telling a varying version of “my girlfriend and I had a fight and she drove off with my car when the camera spotted me running a red light” story. An investigation by Pro Publica discovered he had told 44 lies in court under oath!
When others lie about you, you must determine to rehearse the truth! Once again, the battle is in our own mind! Rehearse what is truth. Rehearse who God is. Find your comfort in God and His Word. Find your comfort in the truth, even if God and you are the only ones who accept the truth.
AN APPEAL
Festus tries to go around the rule book, but Paul calls him on it and appeals to Caesar.
Waiting on God is an active role…not passive! Psalm 27:14 reminds us to “wait on the LORD” and the LORD in return will strengthen our heart. Paul has done a lot of waiting on God in Acts 24 and 25. What does waiting on God look like?
3 Actions for Waiting on God
1. A DISCIPLINED MIND.
Paul continues to return to truth throughout these 2 years of waiting. The truth of his Roman citizenship, the truth of who God is, and the truth what he actually did and said are crucial thoughts for Paul. Time has a way of making truth seem cloudy when our rehearsing has not been disciplined and centered on truth. We must guard our thoughts to keep from adding to or taking away from truth! Truth-filled thinking impacts desires, choices, habits, and character! Active waiting on God must embrace right rehearsing.
2. A DETAILED SURRENDER.
Paul is surrendered even to the hard and hurtful things that God allows (a beating in the streets of Jerusalem and a 2-year house arrest). How is this even possible? Review where those desires come from. Our thoughts fuel our desires! Rehearsing who God is and what He has done increases my love and trust in His way…and this increases my desires to follow Him!
Do you remember Paul’s resolution stated in Philippians 1:21? “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain!” This is the city where he was thrown into the “inner prison” unjustly as a Roman citizen. We cannot hold on to unjust behaviors against us, hurtful words or actions befallen us, or betrayals that have cut us deeply – and then wonder why we do not want to continue coming to church, why our marriage is struggling, or why we do not find reading the Bible helpful anymore! Active waiting on God chooses leaving nothing on the table in a detailed surrender to God’s perfect way…anything less will derail our impact for Christ on those around us.
3. A DETERMINED FOCUS.
Paul remains focused on his mission and his message remains consistent. It was the gospel he preached before his arrest, and it is the same gospel he preaches after his arrest. Sometimes hardship can impact our mission and message. We can become so overcome with the hardship that we lose focus on our God-given mission. Paul could not have continued impactful ministry while under arrest without right thinking fueling his desires to choose Jesus. Remember, the thoughts we rehearse impact our desires and our desires fuel our choices! Active waiting on God reaps right choices that follow right thinking.
Waiting on God is Worth it!
Abraham waited for a promised son (Heb. 6:15)
Joseph waited as a slave and a prisoner (Gen. 50:20)
Job waited through intense suffering (James 5:11)
David waited to be king (Ps. 40:1)
Jesus waited to begin earthly ministry (30 yrs., Lk. 3:21-23)
Waiting on God is hard work that reaps amazing fruit! Once again, this successful active waiting on God traces back to the roots of a disciplined mind. By the grace of God, may we the church wage war on the field of our minds and find the victory only God Himself can bring!