Read Acts 21 – 23
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 KJV
Having arrived in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul was almost torn apart by an angry mob; he was arrested, and almost torn apart again in court. Others were hiding, looking for an opportunity to kill him while he was being transferred from one place to another. Though warned of such things traveling to Jerusalem, if Paul was like most of us, he would have been discouraged by his circumstances. He was doing what God called him to do and yet was suffering because of it. When serving the Lord and others turn against us, we must remember the promise of Christ to never leave nor forsake us (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5). That night the Lord stood by Paul. It must have been encouraging! The Lord also assured him of further ministry. We often think the absence of difficulty is a sign of the Lord’s presence, but often His presence and purpose are revealed to us in the difficulties.
Lord, I am encouraged to know you are always with me and will never forsake me. Sometimes I feel alone in the world, even while doing your will, but to know you are with me provides the encouragement I need to continue.
A question to ponder : Have you had people and circumstances turn against you while doing the Lord’s work, how did the Lord reveal Himself to you?
