Galatians 1:15-17, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned to Damascus.”
So often, we want instant results and instant success, don’t we? We have a plan, we zealously do our research to substantiate the reality of our goals in our job and task at hand, and we enlist our team in support of the desired objective to be achieved. Paul, as highly intelligent as he was did not have instant notoriety in his ministry when he started out in being chosen by God to bring the gospel primarily to the Gentiles.
Paul shares his testimony with the Galatians in Galatians 1:11-24. Paul was one of the highest trained in Judaism. Paul’s teacher, Gamaliel, was a highly educated teacher of the law within the Pharisee sect, and his religious school was mainly oral. His students spent much time in memorizing the Old Testament. Gamaliel was a brilliant thinker and one of the most influential teachers in all of Jewish history (Acts 5:34). “Jewish historians tell us that Gamaliel’s criticism of Paul was that it was impossible to find enough reading material for him. This is not surprising, since those who study Greek tell us Paul’s vocabulary and sentence structure is the most sophisticated of any Greek writer. The guy was brilliant.” Jon Courson’s Application Commentary. New Testament.
God dramatically chose Paul and gave him direct revelation to bring the good news of the gospel of grace. But God trained Paul in the desert. He spent three days there without sight in the beginning. Paul then ministered in Tarsus and other cities in obscurity for seven to ten years. None of the churches knew his name. After that time period, God directed Barnabus and Paul to be a team together in bringing the gospel to the Greeks, the Gentiles. Barnabus sought out Paul for this purpose, and the rest is history and the major turning point in Paul’s life of ministering to the people he was supposed to as God opened up a different door for Paul than what Paul had originally intended.
Before Paul was saved, the emphasis was on what he had done. But after Paul was saved, the importance was all on what God had done. Are you in a time of waiting? I often feel I am, especially since COVID -19 restrictions were put in place. Do you feel as if you are going through a challenging time in having to wait for answers as various achievements are having to be delayed? I sure have. Paul had those times, too, as did many other patriarchs of the Bible. Maybe the purpose for you and me is to see Jesus Christ revealed to us in a fresh new way while being in a time of isolation or know a goal is temporarily having to be put on hold. Did you know the book of Revelation was not written until John was isolated on an island? Think about that.
Draw close to the Lord. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and to speak to you as you read verses in Scripture, giving you counsel, wisdom, and insight as no one else can. Be still and sit in quiet before His presence. Then thank the Lord for all of the things He has done in your life. You will see new things you would not have noticed in any other way.
There is a time not to consult with any of your friends – just with the Lord and to be obedient in His call upon your life, as Paul did. and do it. God knows you intimately and chose you before you were born (Ps.139). Stay faithful. Do what God has told you to do. There is a time to seek advice and counsel, but there is also a time just to be obedient and go forth and do what God has purposed you to do for His glory. “OK, God, let’s go!”
Listen to Matt Maher, Alive & Breathing feat Ellie Limebear (lyric)