Acts 24
Acts 24: God Uses the Present to Prepare Us for the Future
As we sat with Acts 24, we couldn’t help but notice how Paul continues to be shuffled from one political figure to another. The Jewish leaders are relentless in their attempts to imprison him, while the Roman authorities seem uncertain of what to do. It’s a continuation of what we saw in chapter 23, especially verse 11, where the Lord stands near Paul and tells him to “take courage… you must also testify about me in Rome.”
That verse hits home. Like many of us, when we find ourselves in hard situations, our first response is usually to ask God to get us out. But God wasn’t focused on getting Paul out—He was preparing Paul to go forward. This chapter reminds us that God often uses our current trials to prepare us for greater purposes. It might not be comfortable, but it is meaningful.
We thought about how that applies to our own lives. How often do we pray for escape instead of vision? What if instead we asked, “God, what are You doing here? What are You preparing me for?” Paul’s story is a call to trust that even our most difficult seasons are being used for something bigger than we can see right now.
Paul’s Courage and Clear Conscience
What’s also striking in this chapter is Paul’s clarity and courage. He doesn’t dodge tough conversations—he walks right into them with integrity. When the accusations fly about him starting riots and defiling the temple, Paul simply responds with truth. He doesn’t sugarcoat or manipulate. He just lays out the facts and keeps his conscience clear.
Verse 16 captures this beautifully: “So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” That’s a verse worth holding onto. Whether we're facing a major trial or just teaching our kids about honesty, this principle stands: We tell the truth, we walk with integrity, and we leave the results to God.
It’s also worth noticing the contrast between Paul and the lawyer Tertullus—whose flattery toward Felix feels over the top. Paul, by contrast, just sticks to the truth. There’s something powerful in that. We don’t need perfect words or polished arguments. We just need to speak truthfully and trust that God will use it.
Felix and the Danger of Convenience
Then we meet Felix. His response to Paul is fascinating—and convicting. When Paul starts speaking about faith in Jesus, righteousness, self-control, and judgment, Felix gets scared. He literally says, “That’s enough for now!” (v. 25). And then comes the line that stuck with us: “When I find it convenient, I will send for you.”
That phrase—“when I find it convenient”—says so much. Felix is curious, even convicted, but he won’t act. He delays. He’s waiting for faith to fit into his schedule, into his comfort zone. And that’s something we can all relate to more than we’d like to admit.
We live in a culture obsessed with convenience. We pay extra for it. We prioritize it. But faith doesn’t work that way. Growing in relationship with God isn’t always convenient. Sometimes it’s a choice to lean in when we’re tired, to serve when we’d rather relax, to show up when it’s hard.
Reading about Felix made us ask some hard questions: Do we engage with God only when it’s convenient? Do we treat prayer, Scripture, and community as optional or essential? Are we willing to pursue Jesus when it costs us something—time, comfort, or control?
Let’s Choose Faithfulness Over Comfort
So as we walk away from Acts 24, here's what we’re carrying with us:
God might not be rescuing us from our situation, but He’s surely preparing us through it.
Truth-telling and integrity matter. A clear conscience before God and others is worth more than winning any argument.
Convenience should never be the measure of our obedience. Faithfulness often looks like choosing what’s hard but right.
Let’s not wait until it’s convenient to pursue God. Let’s choose Him daily, in the mundane and the messy, in both the trials and the triumphs. And like Paul, let’s keep showing up, keep telling the truth, and trust that God is doing more than we can imagine—even when it doesn’t make sense in the moment.
