Acts 14

Devotional:
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. (Acts 14:19)

The preaching of Paul and Barnabas was so effective in Iconium that a “great number” were converted. This displeased many, forcing Paul and Barnabas to flee to Lystra. There, they also faced opposition, as a mob stoned Paul and left him for dead. Yet the next day he got up and went to Derbe, where many received the gospel of Jesus. Paul eventually returned to Lystra, the place where he was stoned and almost killed! Again, we see an apostle worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. There are many different ways of suffering for His name. Maybe it’s being ostracized from a group or not being considered for a big promotion because of our faith. Maybe it could be a violent situation where we are physically harmed for our faith in Christ. Do we have the tenacity of Paul to continue to suffer for our faith?

Pray it:
Father, help me to proclaim your truth even if it leads to opposition or rejection, recognizing that even such situations are part of your perfect plan and can be used to call more to know your name. Amen.

Share it:
Who is someone you can share a verse or thought from this passage with?