Devotional Blog Friday, February 17th

Daily Devotional for Friday, February 17th

Unbelieving Jews

“But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city,
and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts.
But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the
disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost,” Acts 13:50-52.

 

“The scoffer’s own house is often on fire.”—Danish Proverb

Paul and Barnabas were faithful to preach the gospel wherever they traveled. Almost as sure as their preaching of the gospel was the presence of resistance. Resistance to the gospel came from religious leaders of the Jews, political pundits and unbelieving cynics of the towns where they preached. Resistance by scoffers and hecklers was no surprise to Paul and Barnabas as if they would consider it an occupational hazard.
Scoffers of the early New Testament time are no different from scoffers of today. Scoffers like to stir up crowds of people against their targets no matter what the collateral damage may be. Scoffing is a sinful spirit that would light a building on fire just to see it burn to the ground. Scoffers who stand against the truth of God’s Word seem to be the most passionate and vicious of all scoffers waging war on eternal truths to
their own perils.

Paul and Barnabas are great heroes of the faith who were not swayed by the scoffers, neither did they stoop to fight them. We can take our cues from their examples to faithfully preach the gospel no matter the crowd and graciously redirect the conversation from the scoffers to the good news. We may encounter doubters, skeptics and scoffers in our lives. We must remember they are not our enemies, they are the very ones whom Jesus died to save.

 

 

REFLECTION
There will always be cynics and scoffers seeking to stop the gospel from being
proclaimed. Be filled with joy, as were the disciples,
and continue faithfully for Christ.

Steven Ridings