Acts 5:38-39–So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,
At some point in life, whether young or old, the Christian comes to a “place” where the attempt of doing our own thing in life is futile, or at best a diversion for a time, before God “swallows us up” like Jonah to humble ourselves to His ways.  But when we truly begin to trust God, we begin to judge things that seem crazy to be doing and enduring, yet know it is best for us and His glorious plan…
What we don’t distinguish many times when assessing our walk with God, is that the plan of God doesn’t fail, which is totally different than us “failing”.  Our seeming “failures” are ordered by His steps!  Because He could’ve enabled us to be “successful” in everything we do, but He doesn’t.  Because His ways are higher, success/failure means what to God?  So if our mind is not renewed, we measure God and His ways according to our standards, which is to bring Him down, not lift Him up, to make Him subordinate and not exalted…(Psalm 37:23-24, Isaiah 55:9)
As the Church is “taking off” in Acts, the apostles are getting persecuted, and a wise Rabbi teacher of the name Gamaliel who wasn’t a Christian, understood the power and confidence a person should have if they are following God’s plan.  The apostles in being led by the Spirit were doing that, and this Rabbi warns those persecuting them not to do so if this plan is of God.  Because if they are with God, you’re not fighting these disciples, you are fighting God!
Now imagine if we really believed that about what we are doing?  Of course we have times of doubt and fear as a Christian, but we should know if we are following God or not.  The evidence that may indict us that we are not, is that we look to fight every battle, as if God is not there to fight them for us.  No confidence that the people fighting against you are not fighting you, but God.  That’s if we are abiding in His plan.  Or we keep measuring God “being with us”, by our definition of the world we’ve come from, which robs God of how good His grace and mercy have been for His plan sake.
Imagine being like the apostles who after being wrongfully beaten say this, “Acts 5:42 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”  Notice how the apostles didn’t associate being beaten as failure, they knew they were living for Christ, they just endured whatever God threw at them like Jesus did!  They rejoiced in suffering for their Savior, because it says to God, “I trust you, though you have made me look like a failure in my eyes and others” . That my image or my own plans are not more important than God’s, which cannot fail.  So rejoice if you are walking in God’s plan for your life, no matter what it looks like, it will not fail. (Job 23:10, Isaiah 46:10)
In His Love, Ld