Never Alone!
- Alan Fong
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Today's Verse:
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. ~Acts 23:11
What do you do when you’ve been rejected, scorned, and written off as a loser and enemy? This morning, let us see how Paul was encouraged and helped by our Lord when he was at one of the lowest points in his life. Let us see how the Lord is always there for us.
We see the scornful detractors.
“And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.” Paul was standing before his accusers, the Jewish priesthood and elders, for being a fervent disciple and witness of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was the most controversial man alive. He was hated and vilified. So great was the divided opinion about him that our passage describes his situation as being almost pulled in pieces. Whenever we take a firm stand for the gospel message, we must expect that there will be those who are hateful of our Christ that would seek to pull us to pieces as well.
We see a secluded dejection.
“And the night following…” The captain of the centurions acted quickly and brought Paul into the castle for his safety. There. for an entire day and night, Paul sat in a secluded place wondering in his heart, “What will happen to me?” “Will I get a fair trial to testify of my faith?” “Will I get to Rome?” “Will the Romans turn me over to the Jews?” Even though Paul was the boldest Christian alive in his day, he descended to the lowest point of discouragement in his ministry and service to the Lord. Paul described his feelings in 2 Timothy 4:16 as “no man stood with me, all men forsook me.” As he sat there rejected and discouraged, he wondered if he was at the right place and doing the right thing.
We see a sustaining declaration.
“And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.” It was at his lowest point that the Lord came to Paul’s side and gave him a sweet assurance of his protection and purpose. First, Paul was strengthened by the Lord’s presence. “The Lord stood by him.” Let us remember that as long as the Lord stands by us, we have all the help we need. The Lord’s presence bolstered and blessed him. Second, Paul was encouraged by four simple words, “Be of good cheer.” Be encouraged and not discouraged. Have joy and not sorrow. Be alive and not down for the count. Third, the Lord assured him that he would get to Rome and there also testify of his faith in Christ. Paul was sustained at the darkest hour of his ministry.
We see the shielded defense.
Right after Paul received this promise from God, he got word that 40 Jewish men banded together to kill him. They had entered into an oath with the high priest that they would not eat or drink until Paul was dead. They conspired to get the Romans to bring Paul out in public sight where they could find the means to kill Paul. Amazingly, Paul had a nephew who happened to overhear this plot and reported it to Paul, who, in turn, sent him to the captain of the centurions to report what he heard. The centurion increased his number of guards around Paul so that it made it too risky for the Jews to attempt anything. God was supernaturally at work on Paul’s behalf and gave him a shielded defense. In spite of increased hatred, pressure, and threat, no one could do anything to harm Paul.
Maybe you feel like Paul did: reviled, rejected, and at the lowest point of your life. Listen for the Lord’s comforting words to be of good cheer. Have faith in God to accomplish His purposes through you, even if you cannot clearly see the road ahead.
Have a strengthened God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Corinthians 12-14
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