Landing on the island of Melita after several weeks of blustery and tumultuous journey, all that Paul needed were warmth, shelter and rest. The barbarians couldn’t help so much either. Paul had to pick up sticks to warm himself by the fire. He had successfully gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire when this old fierce looking, venomous beast (serpent) crawled out of the fire and wrapped around his hand.
Aha! The barbarians who were supposed to give him comfort after all he went through began speaking against him. They called him a murderer and one who could never escape the vengeful sting of death. Afar off they watched and stayed up in anticipation of his death. Oh! They judged him wrongly!
But you know what? He shook off the beast right into the fire from where it came and he was unhurt (Acts 28:5).
When they saw all that happened, the same people changed their minds and called him a god.
You therefore have no excuse to remain in the chains of misjudgments, misunderstandings, disappointments, past mistakes and to pine away.
Rise and shake off that beast!
It could be that the people who should stand by you are the ones causing you the most harm, waiting for your failure and the crumbling of your walls. They may have no hope in you, no faith, they may have judged you wrongly, misunderstood or called you all sorts of names including a murderer, a disappointment, an evil child, good for nothing, etc. You have a responsibility to pay deaf ears just like Paul but do all you can to shake off that tag.
The beast wrapped around your legs could be your past mistakes in life but if you don’t shake it off, you may never progress from there. Shake off that beast and watch the same people who condemned you turn to say you are a god.
It is also interesting to know that after the incidence, they brought all their sick ones to Paul and he prayed for and healed them.
Any attitude or hate? No! After God has vindicated you and made you a joy and a god to all those who mocked you in the past, you must not fail to attend to them in love as much as you can. Paul’s act of kindness to them brought more honor to him and to those with him.
I heard that two things define a man: His character when he has nothing and his attitude when he has everything.
Key points-
- Close your ears to what onlookers are saying
- Shake off the beast
- Repay with kindness.
