Acts 25:1-5

Acts 25:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

  The human story has been one of slowly grabbing control.  Think about it -- we grabbed control of fire, and soon we could control when it was dark and when it was light.  We began to cultivate crops, and we were in control, no longer at the whims of hunting and gathering.  We built houses, now able to control how the weather affected us.  We soon built machines to do work for us, controlling how much effort we had to contribute.  We continue to gain control, over travel and DNA and medicine, bringing so much of life under our control.  It's easy to forget that we're not in ultimate control -- it's easy to forget that the universe doesn't revolve around us.
  God is the center and author of life.  In Him, and in Him alone, is light and life and truth.  He is the one who grants us life, and our lives are meant to be about worshiping Him.  If we think our lives are about being in control, we'd panic in situations like the one Paul is in, where it seems like we're small and out of control and unable to know what is coming next.
  But if we trust God, we learn to relax and trust that whatever our circumstances may be, God will use them for his glory.  It's hard for us to relax, but God is at work, and our job is to trust in Him -- He is control and can use every situation for his glory.  Trust in Him -- our life is not meant to be about us, and he is at work for us.  He loves us and will not forsake us, so trusting in Him is a step of faith on the path to eternal life.