Opportunities in Trouble

Devotional Reading: But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Acts of the Apostles 8:4 NLT

I like to say that opposition is a prophetic indicator that opportunity is on its way.

As the church was beginning to form in Acts, there was a variety of persecution they faced. However, it was the trouble they encountered that actually helped to spread the gospel. When the early Church was encountering opposition, there was also an opportunity for Kingdom advancement.

I’ve found that troubles and trials are mirrors – it reveals who we are. We don’t know how strong our faith is until we encounter a difficult situation. When the early church went through trouble, the gospel didn’t grow weaker; instead, it gained strength.

No matter what you’re facing today, hidden inside that difficulty is an opportunity for God to come through in some miraculous way. Don’t be discouraged when you face trying times. Don’t be disheartened when you walk through crisis; instead, lean into the Lord and look for the opportunity for God to show Himself strong to you.

When the early church was scattered, God used that scattering as an opportunity to spread the gospel to areas that it had never been. Those who had opposed the gospel must have thought that because of their persecution, they had extinguished the threat of the early church, but instead, it grew in power. Wherever the people were scattered, it became their new mission field.

It can be difficult to know why we’re going through pain or why we’re experiencing some of the circumstances that we’re wading through, but God is faithful and will use what the enemy meant for evil and work it for our good!

Prayers and Confession
Lord, thank you for the pains and trials I am going through. Teach me to see the opportunities you have provided for me in difficult times. Amen!

Further Reading: Acts 8:1-4, James 1:1-4