Imagine being cheered up by God himself! Paul was understandably discouraged by recent events—grabbed by a lynch mob, put in chains, put in protective custody to save him from his own people. So the Lord personally appeared to encourage him with a glimpse into his future.
“But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, ‘Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome’” (Acts 23:11, NKJV).
It’s in the nature of the warrior culture to focus on what’s broken, so we can fix it, and to spend less time and energy looking forward to future successes or even celebrating past ones. Yet God sends us many “words of encouragement” each day we do His will—good weather, our favorite song, a butterfly, a scripture, a pat on the back from a co-worker. Look for God’s signs of approval and encouragement. Be encouraged and stay strong!
The content of this article comes from “The Warrior’s Bible” (2014) and is copyrighted by Life Publishers International. Used with permission.
