From the Daily Dose Journal Series

Setback?

So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him. ~ Acts 24:23

I got my grandson a diecast pull-back car. You know, the kind of toy car that you pull back on the wheels and let go so it speeds across the floor? It took him a little while to figure it out because he was only two years old at the time, but before long he was pulling it back and running after it as it zoomed ahead of him. As I watched him, it struck me that pulling the car backward is what gives it the power to move faster than it ever could if he simply pushed it forward. The backward motion creates momentum that sends it flying into the next room.

That made me think about the moments in life when I feel as though I am experiencing a setback. In my walk with God, there have been many times when I felt like I was finally gaining ground, finally moving ahead from my past, only to miss it in an area of my life and feel as if I had lost everything I had worked so hard to gain. It often felt like taking one step forward and three steps back.

In today’s reading, it looks like the apostle Paul is again experiencing a setback. He stood before the magistrate, but after the hearing, Felix decided to wait for another witness before giving a verdict. I imagine that must have been disappointing at first. But what seemed like a delay turned into a blessing. Paul was given liberty, and his friends were allowed to come, stay, and care for him. What looked like a setback became a season of rest, strengthening, and preparation. In this time, Paul began writing the letters that form much of the New Testament. This delay did not shrink his ministry, it expanded it far beyond his lifetime. What seemed like a pull backward actually set up momentum that is still impacting the world two thousand years later.

What about you today? Do you feel as though you are in a setback? Did something not work out the way you hoped it would? Have you missed it in an area that you thought you had already conquered?

When you commit these things to the Lord, He can turn them into a setup for what He wants to accomplish next in your life. You may feel like you are being pulled backward, but God is building momentum to propel you forward into your purpose.

Here are some things you can do when you feel like you are in setback mode:

• Pray and tell God exactly what feels like a setback, then place it in His hands and trust Him with it.
• Look for one area in your life where God may be giving you rest, strength, or growth during this time.
• Ask God to help you see this season the way He sees it, then take one step that moves you in the direction of His purpose.
• Spend time reading Acts 24 and invite God to show you how He used Paul’s waiting season for something greater.

Set aside a few quiet minutes today and name the setback you are facing.
Pray a simple prayer asking God to use this time for His purpose in your life. Write down one thing you can do today that moves you forward, even in a small way. Keep coming back to God every time discouragement rises, and trust that He is building momentum in you.

Today I want to encourage you to place your setback in God’s hands and trust that He is setting you up for something greater. He is not pulling you backward to punish you, He is preparing you. As you commit your ways to Him and keep taking steps toward His purpose, He will turn what looks like a delay into the very momentum that propels you into everything He has planned for you.

Today’s scripture reading: Acts 24:22-27

22 But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.” 

23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.

24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 

25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” 

26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.

27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

Journal:

• What setback am I facing right now that I need to place in God’s hands?
• What might God be strengthening or developing in me during this season?
• What is one small step I can take today toward the direction of His purpose?
• How have I seen God turn delays into blessings in my past?