This is the last devotional from Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas. As we prepare to follow the Apostle Paul’s footsteps, I hope these build your spiritual anticipation and prepare your hearts for our journey together…
In learning to be a parent or at least a dad, there are some phrases we just had to learn, like “Don’t make me turn this car around” and “When I was your age…”.
And this one which applies to our devotional for today. “Just think how good it will feel when it stops hurting.”
That phrase really doesn’t help, especially when you just now hit your thumb with a hammer, but another thing I would say as a Dad was, “Pain goes away”. Not always, but at least over time, the pain doesn’t throb quite as much.
Paul and Barnabas were finishing up on their first missionary journey and were about to return to Antioch in Syria. Read the following:
21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (in Pisidia, modern day Turkey --TM), 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” 23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. 24 And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed to Antioch (that is in Syria, where they began their journey --TM), where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. 27 Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
The two went back through the same cities where they had previously been persecuted and then ultimately back to Antioch in Syria, and told about the “tribulations” but also about the victories. Despite all of the hardships, the overarching theme of their report seemed positive especially as they shared about the door of faith that had been opened to the Gentiles.
Many years later, the apostle John would quote Jesus as saying, “A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.” John 16:21
On Sunday, Randy preached on the hardships and the love of God. Probably the most remaining images was of the child who was malnourished and then recovered. There are many hardships in our lives, some almost unimaginable except for the sustaining grace of God. I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Paul to be stoned and then return to the same city. What would it have been like to call down blindness onto a false prophet? What must it have been like be followed and chased down by opposing people with the same zeal against Christians that Paul once had?
There is a song Elvis sang (others sang it too but I love Elvis’s gospels)
I'm gonna meet God the Father and God the Son
Yes, I'm gonna meet God the Father and God the Son
Well, well, well, well
I'm gonna sit down and tell Him my troubles
About the world that I just came from
That's when we walk on that milky white way
Oh Lord, one of these days
No, I don’t really ascribe to the questionable theology in some of the those old songs but I sure do appreciate and empathize with the sentiments. There is something beautiful about God collecting all of our tears and placing them in a bottle. 8You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? 9 When I cry out to You, Then my enemies will turn back; This I know, because God is for me. 10 In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word), 11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Psalm 56:8-11)
And there is something in the Bible that says God Himself will wipe away our tears. “for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 7:17)
Hebrews 12:2 said even Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, endured the cross, despising the shame, all for the joy that was set before Him.
Hmmm. Maybe the psalmist, the apostles John and Paul, Elvis and even Dads know what they are talking about. Maybe the joy will make it feel so good when the pains of this world finally go away.
