2 Corinthians 11:23–25: “Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep;”

June 7th, 2022 by Pastor Ed in devotional

The Apostle Paul tells us he had been faithfully serving the Lord by serving the churches even to his own detriment. Although the Book of Acts only gives one instance of Paul being in prison in Philippi, we know from early church historians that he was imprisoned many more times. We should not view the Book of Acts as an exhaustive documentation of Paul’s life, but an incomplete record.

There are 18 ship journeys recorded in Acts, which makes us wonder just how many more he actually went on. Paul’s service to the Lord brought many physical hardships and sufferings, especially considering the difficult traveling methods and that the average life span was less than 20 years. What an example for us! This man was faithful. Until God had finished His purposes for him on earth, he continued to be a loyal and trustworthy servant. No doubt this list of Paul’s sufferings for the sake of the lost had the needed impact on the Corinthians, who needed a wake-up call from the spiritual coma they had been drawn into by false teachers. We must also guard against spiritual lethargy and dullness.

Twenty years from now we will be more disappointed by the things we didn’t try to do to serve the Lord than by the things we did try that didn’t work perfectly. God wants us to push on in ventures of faith and random acts of kindness today. We need to resist the temptation to wait until everything is just right before we step out. Things will never be perfect and there will always be challenges and obstacles to overcome. Paul understood this well and challenges us to serve God as he did, overcoming all obstacles by the grace of God.

“LORD, we want to serve You faithfully too. Help us to be useful to Your Kingdom this day, in Jesus’ name.”