Upon reaching v.10 of Acts 28, Paul had continued to trust in God, despite a seemingly hopeless situation and a seemingly irrational pathway to safety. This led to expansive ministry among a previously unreached people. God loves to do this. He loves to open up doors of opportunity when our faith is growing. I have seen this in my own life and it’s never a surprise to me anymore when someone is developing their conviction of the power of God’s word and then they say: “An amazing thing happened—A friend approached me with this issue that led to an open door to explain the gospel OR a co-worker had this question about God OR a family member who has been hostile to the gospel in the past asked me to pray for him.” On the contrary, God doesn’t use people who are constantly doubting him or who refuse to walk by the Spirit, but instead set their mind on the self-centered interests of the flesh. Therefore, if we are wondering why God always seems to be using other people instead of us to advance his purposes, we need to look no further than our own faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Along these lines, Paul tells Timothy in 2nd Tim. 2:21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
Trusting God Leads to Usefulness for God
