Apostle Paul the encourager.

Good day, beautiful people,

It’s been a long while; nonetheless, I hope that this post meets you well?  I can confirm that I have not been ideal; in fact, by the grace of God, I’ve been able to upload some writing material onto the YouVersion app. Two devotionals are now available for reading. I hope they bless you if you choose to read them. I will leave the link to access the material below, and also a QR code for you to share with others (once again, many thanks for your continual support). 

Today’s post has been inspired by Acts 27:22-25 (Do consider reading from verse 13-44 for full context). When reading through Scripture, it is evident that Paul endured much suffering for the sake of the gospel; yet, amidst all the trials he faced (being bound in chains, encountering death threats, and being manhandled by groups of people), he still had the audacity to boldly proclaim his faith and talk about the goodness of the Lord. This, to me, is admirable; what a wonderful character to have. I find Apostle Paul to be a great role model because he sincerely lived out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Even when circumstances were unfavourable, Paul did not shy away from sharing the gospel. He dedicated his life to ensuring that he fulfilled his God-given mission on Earth. His ministry was to share Jesus with the Gentiles, and he did so even when people motioned for him to stop out of hatred. He chose to obey God rather than man.

Acts 5:29~ “But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

Acts 27:22-26 ~ “But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

^^^From the above passage, one can observe that Paul is an encourager. In this particular situation, they were in the middle of a physical storm; shipwreck was imminent. Yet Paul spoke of the goodness of God. He encouraged those on the ship to eat and prophesied God’s word to them that their lives would not be harmed. 

What an admirable personality to have. May the Holy Spirit help us to cultivate gracious and godly characteristics. As hard as it is to say, I do pray that God gives me the grace to praise Him through the storm, even in exceptionally trying circumstances. May I be able to say, ‘Lord, blessed be Your name, for You are good and Your mercies endure forever.’ Sincerely  speaking, God is good. Because of His love for mankind, He offered Himself as a living sacrifice so that we may be saved. God the Son has reconciled us back to God the Father. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

My prayer for believers everywhere is that our lives will be a living testimony to all those around us, that they can witness the love of Christ through us no matter the season of our lives.

Thank you for reading and continue to stay blessed.