ACTS 14:21-22 – When they, Paul and Barnabas, had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
THEME OF THE DAY. IT MUST BE SO. We will suffer for being a disciple of the Lord Jesus; mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and maybe physically. We will shed many tears on the path to heaven. We will carry heavy burdens not removed in this life. We will have sorrow over loved ones unsaved and not interested in the Lord Jesus. We will have seasons we groan over our many spiritual failings. We will have broken hearts of disappointment from people, even from other Christians who once seemed to love us only to turn their backs on us. There will be the agony of feeling God is far away, not paying attention to the suffering engulfing us. Yet, all of these are the experiences of God’s people throughout church history. God has ordained it be so and all of them, though for a season seem unbearable, will produce lasting spiritual fruit in our lives. Trust God for it. He has said it would be so.
In today’s scripture the Apostle Paul and Barnabas are passing through the lands of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch. They had been there before, preaching the Gospel, and the Lord added many to His family as a result. As good under-shepherds, Paul and Barnabas went back to help them grow in their new-found faith. They would do two things – strengthen and encourage these new believers, and they would do so by reminding them of the truth of the Christian life; many tribulations will come their way on the journey to heaven.
Friends, God’s ways are not our ways. Those are not my words. The prophet Isaiah wrote of the Lord and His dealings with His people – For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). These are not nice words to quote to a hurting brother or sister as we seek to encourage them in their struggles. These are essential words for us to cling to personally when life seems to bottom out, circumstances overwhelming, and difficult situations unchanging. In the midst of the pain of trials and tribulations the Lord has ordained will be the lot of all His blood-bought children, we must see beyond the pain in them to the purposes of them. God really does know what He is doing in His life. Yes, the way may seem perplexing and certainly not the way we would travel, but, by faith, and by faith alone, not faith and feelings, we submit to His often painful work in us. We fight through the tears, the heartaches, the burdens, and see behind all of them a loving, good, sovereign God who knows what is best for us as we travel to heaven.
So, when the reality of the Christian life comes at us with force; the force of much trials and tribulations, don’t grumble, complain, or try to change things. Stop, and remember that it must be so. God has ordained it to be so. And that is one of the great things about heaven – they will all be over; every trial and tribulation will have done its work and forever gone from our lives.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me when I think following Your Son should be easy, painless, and without much effort on my part.”
QUOTE: “When Jesus said, ‘Narrow is the way, few will find it’, it is because the cost is too high to pay for many”