Acts 19 Devotional

More Than a Magic Word

“So the word of the Lord powerfully continued to spread and prevail.”Acts 19:20 (BSB)

In Ephesus, God does extraordinary miracles through Paul (19:11). Some traveling exorcists notice and try to use Jesus' name like a spell, commanding spirits by the Jesus whom Paul preaches. The evil spirit answers that it knows Jesus and knows Paul, but has no idea who they are, and the man overpowers all seven of them (19:13-16). The name of Jesus is not a formula for anyone to borrow. It belongs to a living Lord, and it carries power only for those who belong to him.

Fear falls on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus is honored (19:17). Many believers come forward to confess what they have been doing, and those who practiced magic burn their books publicly, though the books are worth fifty thousand drachmas (19:18-19). So the word of the Lord keeps spreading and growing in power (19:20). Even the riot over a threatened idol trade shows how much was changing. Jesus is not an addition to our other securities. He replaces them, and he is worth the cost.

To think about: What have you been holding on to for security that you need to bring into the open and give up for Jesus?