I mentioned yesterday that God will accomplish his will in our lives and no power on this earth can stop him. We see an example of this in this passage.
Some men had taken an oath to kill Paul, and had asked the chief priests to assist them in this.
I wonder what kind of an oath they took? That is, did they swear before God that they would do this? That would be the ultimate irony. “I swear before you, O God, that I will break the sixth commandment and murder a man.”
Now I’m sure they didn’t word it that way, but that’s essentially what they said. Even worse, the priests not only condoned it, but agreed to help them keep their oath.
But God is not one whose purposes can be thwarted. And so he placed Paul’s nephew in such a position that he somehow heard about the plot.
God then put favor in the heart of the Roman commander to not only listen to the warning, but to do everything possible to keep Paul safe until he could have his trial. As a result, the murder plot went for naught.
That should encourage us in our lives. Sometimes the world can seem against us as we do God’s will. Sometimes they actually are plotting against us.
But ultimately, nothing can thwart God and his purposes. So as Moses once told the people at the Red Sea,
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you… (Exodus 14:13)
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 