Today’s Reading: Acts 14; Psalm 44

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. – Acts 14:1-3

Paul and Barnabas experienced opposition again in Iconium, yet instead of moving on, they stayed. Sometimes in the face of opposition, the Holy Spirit leads us to WALK AWAY and sometimes he tells us to STAY; yet sometimes he directs us to FLEE. That is what Paul and Barnabas did next. When a mob of both Gentiles and Jews threatened to attack and stone them, they fled.

SOMETIMES WE FACE PERSECUTION ON OUR JOURNEY.

But good came from this persecution as Paul and Barnabas preached the good news in the next two towns they visited — Lystra and Derbe. The reaction at first was quite the opposite, as the people tried to make Paul and Barnabas into gods to worship.

While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sitting and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed. So Paul called to him in a loud voice, “Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.

When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!” – Acts 14:8-11

Because the culture of these towns was to worship the Greek god Zeus, their natural response was to bring bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, preparing to make sacrifices to these two men who they assumed must be gods themselves. Paul quickly cleared up the confusion letting them know they were merely humans there to bring the Good News.

“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them. – Acts 14:15-18

Paul and Barnabas were right to not revel in the praise of man. They knew popularity could fade as quickly as it appeared. Sure enough, troublemakers arrived and began stirring up the crowds against them. The fickle townspeople stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.

So what did Paul do this time? Did he shake the dust off his feet and leave? Did he choose to stay or did he flee? As the believers gathered around the injured apostle, Paul rose to his feet and went back into the town.

The next day Paul left with Barnabas for Derbe, where they made many disciples. Paul and Barnabas stopped by Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia on their way home from this long journey. They had one more message to convey using the example of their own lives — a reminder that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God (14:22).

SOMETIMES WE FACE SUFFERING ON OUR JOURNEY.

This is a good reminder for us today. God has called each of us to a special purpose. He promises to be with us but He does not promise that our journey will be without distractions, opposition, persecution and sometimes suffering. He has given us the Holy Spirit who will show us what to do when these problems arise. He might lead us to walk away or He may call us to stay. He might warn us to flee from the enemy or He may give us the strength to get up on our feet and go back.

I am so thankful for His direction and strength in any and every situation. I praise Him and thank Him for the wisdom He gives us to know how and when to respond. As long as we continue to worship and fast, remaining close to God, He will communicate to us through His Spirit. Praise God for His constant faithfulness!

Only by your power can we push back our enemies;
only in your name can we trample our foes.
I do not trust in my bow;
I do not count on my sword to save me.
You are the one who gives us victory over our enemies;
you disgrace those who hate us.
O God, we give glory to you all day long
and constantly praise your name. – Psalm 44:5-8