The Encourager by Lisa Burkhardt Worley
For those of you who have ever thought, There’s no way I could ever be as devout as the biblical Apostles, I am here to tell you that they weren’t much different from any of us.
They feared for their lives at sea, even with Jesus in the boat. How many times have we been afraid, even though Jesus is in our hearts?
Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times. When have we kept silent about our faith?
And Paul—well Paul got frustrated. I don’t even have to ask a question about frustration.
This week, I was reading in Acts 18 where Paul was trying to reach his Jewish brethren in Corinth with the Gospel message, a regular practice for him at ever city he visited. When the Jewish Corinthians “opposed and insulted” him, he stormed off in a huff, and said he would only preach to the Gentiles from then on.
At that point, Paul needed encouragement, just like we need a pick-me-up when we’re frustrated.
So perhaps with his head lowered in defeat, Paul traveled to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile believer who happened to live next door to a synagogue. There is some detail left out of this passage, but my guess is that Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and his family were hanging out at the Justus house. Maybe TItius invited them over to dinner so they could meet Paul. Who knows? But something Paul said that night resonated with Crispus and his household. Acts 18:8 says Crispus, a Jew, and all his family became believers and were baptized.
When Paul was ready to cross synagogues off his list of evangelical stops, God gave him what he needed to keep trying—the salvation of a synagogue leader. That seemed to be enough to renew Paul’s spirit because at his next stop, Ephesus, Paul made a beeline for the synagogue where he once again shared about Jesus.
Do you need encouragement today? Just like He did with Paul, our heavenly Father knows when we have suffered defeat and need a victory. He is an encourager. Today one situation in my own life comes to mind. I am praying for encouragement as I head down the home stretch of this year of school. I know he will be faithful to provide exactly what is required.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
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We invite you to join us for our next POP Chat on Wednesday, March 31st at 6:30 p.m. CST. This month, POP Talk Co-Host and Communications Coordinator, Rosemary Legrand, will be speaking about “Embracing the Love of God.” Our guest Worship Leader is Carole Brewer. Carole is also an Author and Podcast Host of “Bible Chicks.’ https://carolebrewer.com. Just click on the link to sign up: