By Bill Lamar
Both Jews and Gentiles were being converted. Large numbers surrendered to the message of Jesus Christ. But a campaign was in development to crush the work of Paul and Barnabas. Mistrust and suspicion were sown into the minds of the people. And Paul and Barnabas learned that many were prepared to use violence against them, so they escaped to nearby towns and kept preaching in spite of imminent threats.
Paul healed a crippled man in Lystra, and people sought to worship him and Barnabas as gods. They emphatically rejected the worship of the people and pointed toward the true and living God revealed in Jesus Christ.
Paul was beaten and left for dead, but he kept on preaching and witnessing and risking his life. Paul was clear to newly minted disciples that following Jesus was akin to signing up for hard times. But people continued to follow.
And they kept telling the story of how God was working in spite of the difficulties they experienced. God was always the subject of their proclamation, not the hardships that they endured. I am convinced that those who are able to see God’s hand at work in the midst of trials and tribulations are the ones who shall endure to the end. And they prop open a door of faith and grace that stands ready for us to pass through to the other side.
- Who are the Pauls and Barnabases in your life and in your church? Do we have the faith to walk through the doors that God has opened through them?
- Have you walked through doors of faith and grace opened by the Pauls and Barnabeses of your life? Why or why not?
- How can you use the stories you have read to increase your faith and propel you to greater service?
- What unsettled you in the reading of today’s text?
Prayer: Dear God, we are often afraid to walk through open doors of faith and grace opened by your saints. Give us strength to persevere in faith. Amen.
