10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."
– Acts 18: 9-10
Don't Be Afraid!
This is such an interesting bit of scripture for me because in it, we are told that Paul, the mighty preacher of the Gospel, the champion for Christ, was afraid. I guess it shouldn't be surprising, considering all the beatings he took and the countless times he was left for dead for speaking the truth to his own people. It seemed like every time he opened his mouth to try to convince folks to turn to Christ, he was either arrested, or jailed, or beaten, or stoned, or shipwrecked. Come to think of it, I guess I would be downright shaking in my boots if every time I mentioned Christ those things happened to me.
But God knew just how to comfort Paul. He knew that Paul needed encouragement and he needed to know that God had his back. He came to Paul when he was at rest so that He could re-energize him and put fire back into his soul. He gave Paul the pep talk he needed so that he could go on with his mission – just like He will do for us today.
Now our problems are nowhere near the level of Paul's (at least not for anyone I know). We don't have to face the kinds of attacks and persecution for our faith that he did, but God still speaks to us and encourages us all the same. I think that He might be just a little disappointed sometimes in the way we can get down and discouraged. I mean, look at the things we have to go through – we think God has forgotten about us if we get a flat tire, or we lose our job, or we get a bad report from the doctor. All valid concerns, and I don't want to discount how very heavy these things can weigh on our lives . . . but at the same time, none of it is too big for God. Still, He is patient with us, and He wants us to know that He has our backs today . . . just like He had Paul's back.
You see it doesn't matter that we aren't on a conversion quest like Paul – that was his mission. What does matter is that we know what our mission is and we do it to the best of our ability. Can it be scary to witness to a co-worker – you bet. Will you be persecuted for speaking out against things like gay marriage – probably (especially in this valley). Will there be times when you are afraid to say anything because of fear of not being accepted or liked – almost a guarantee. But that's OK. Our God knows what we are facing. He knows the hearts of the people we will be witnessing to, and He knows the motives of those who will come against us. We can take heart in knowing that He will come to us, and He will encourage us through it all. In Him we have all the hope we will need to be re-energized and refreshed so that we can carry the gospel to everyone we know. After all, He has our backs, and He's telling us "Don't be afraid any longer!"
Prayer
Father, thank You for understanding the things we face each day. And while for the most part, they might not be life-threatening events like Paul had to deal with, they are very real and often scary just the same. It is beautiful to know that You care and that You want us to be encouraged and refreshed through it all. I am so humbled to know that You see each one of us in our moment of weakness and You say, "Don't be afraid, I am with you." Thank You Father.
Have a blessed day everyone!
– Richard
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