Devote Yourself To God's Daily Devotions

FRIDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER 2023

TEXT: Acts 15:36-16:5

Acts 15:36-41

36: Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

37: Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them,

38: but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.

39: They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

40: but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.

41: He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts 16:1-5

1: Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek.

2: The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

3: Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4: As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

5: So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

(New International Version Holy Bible)

TOPIC: STRENGTHENING FELLOW BELIEVERS IN FAITH

Today's passage takes us into a tradition of the early church which is gradually becoming a forgotten norm. The tradition has to do with looking back to see what has been planted throughout our journey of faith.

Paul and Barnabas did this even though they ended up parting company in verse 39. God still used their separation for the expansion of the ministry.

Hence, they covered more mission fields than they would have done if it was just the two of them. The direction Paul took brought Timothy into the ministry and Paul encouraged him to continue from where he stopped (2Timothy 4:1-2).

We are missing the complementary aspect of Christianity when we do not care to look back at what we have laboured for in the Lord.

Perhaps Timothy would not have followed in the footsteps of Paul if such actions were not taken.

QUESTION: How have you strengthened those you have brought into fellowship with Christ?

PRAYER: Father, thank You for reminding me on the need to reflect about those I have positively impacted their spiritual growth. Help me strengthen them, especially hard times such as these. Amen.