They
Stoned Paul
And
Dragged Him Out Of Town,
Thinking
He Was Dead.
Scripture
Acts
14
19 Then some
Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their
side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was
dead. 20 But as the believers
gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next
day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Observation
In
a matter of minutes the Apostle Paul and Barnabas went from being
called the Greek gods Zeus and Hermes (because they had healed a
cripple man, who had been crippled since birth and had never walked)
to the crowd turning against them stoning Paul and leaving him for
dead.
This
story is a reminder to me just how fickle that we as human beings can
be!
I
love what Paul did in verse 20 of Acts 14, “he got up and went back
into the town.” He had been stoned by the crowd, dragged out of
town, and left there for dead. Can you imagine what the people
thought when they saw the Apostle Paul walk right back into their
town after they had just stoned him and thought he was dead?
Is
it just me that thinks about stuff like that? …
Here
is a take away from this story:
My
pastor Dr. Waylon B. Moore told me, when I was just starting out in
the ministry way back in the early 1970's, “never take a pat on the
back unless it was way down low.”
Here
is how I understood his words of advice, advice which has stayed with
me all of these years … don't let the praise of people go to your
head. If you are getting a pat on your back way down low (verbally
spanked, corrected or criticized) – be sure to pay attention to
that one!
The
Apostle Paul and Barnabas were not about to accept the praise of men
– we also need to be careful ... Let's let God and let's let those
around us get the credit whenever God does something through us that
is worthy of praise!
Application
I
want the Apostle Paul's boldness, his humility, and his tenacity in
my life.
How
about you?
Prayer
Heavenly
Father, the Apostle Paul was so bold and so tenacious. He never gave
up. I can't imagine be able to get up after being stoned by a mob and
walking right back into the town where they had just stoned me and
left me for dead. Give me Paul's boldness. What an amazing story.
Help me to love people like Paul did. Guide me today. Don't let me
miss out on what You want me to do.
I
pray for those who are sick. I pray for their healing. Your Word
reminds me, “The
earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces
wonderful results.” (James 5:16b) I know that a righteous person is
not someone who is perfect, because I know that there are no perfect
people. I know that a righteous person is someone who
is putting You first in his or her life. Help me to be a righteous
person today. Please answer my prayers.
Daily
Bible Reading: Leviticus 4,5,6; Acts 14
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