Wednesday, July 28, 2021
The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. Acts 23:11
Take Courage and Be of Good Cheer!
Acts Chapter 23 opens with Paul on trial before the Sanhedrin which was the Jewish religious and civil court. He starts right off saying that he has a clear conscience before God, which meant that he believed he had done nothing wrong and should not even be on trial. Ananias, the high priest, had declared Paul a blasphemer and was even more annoyed with his declaration of innocence. He ordered Paul to be slapped across the mouth and Paul told him that God would slap him down! He apologized after being scolded by the aides for talking to “God’s Chief Priest” like that.
Paul knew that the council was made up of both Sadducees and Pharisees, so he decided to throw a wrench in the activities. He told them “Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a long line of Pharisees. It’s because of my Pharisee convictions—the hope and resurrection of the dead—that I’ve been hauled into this court.” (Acts 23:6 msg) As soon as he said this, the council was divided right down the middle and the heated arguments began. Once again, Paul was in danger as the arguments flared even more and became violent. The captain was afraid for Paul’s life, so he directed he soldiers to get him out and escort him back to safety.
That night the Lord appeared to Paul with the greatest affirmation - Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. This was not the first time the Lord had met Paul in a time of need. He also appeared to Paul in a vision in Acts 18:9-10: Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.
Paul needed that affirmation from God because the next day the Jews plotted to kill Paul. Paul’s nephew heard about the plot and got word to the commander. He got Paul safely out of the city that night and delivered into the hands of Governor Felix in Caesarea, where he was kept safely under guard in Herod’s palace.
What an amazing thing to have the Lord appear to you and tell you to your face to keep doing what you are doing. How much confidence would we all have if He did that for us? Even though He may not appear to us physically, He will do the same for us He did for Paul. He always sees, hears, and knows what is going on in our lives. At all times, and especially in times of crisis in our lives, He is with us every step and will never leave us or forsake us. Through His word and other people, He speaks words of hope and encouragement into our lives. Like Paul, we can know that we do not have to be afraid, but we can keep on sharing our testimony and doing His work.
Paul’s life and ministry is a powerful testimony to us. We see him used in such a mighty and bold way and protected by God over and over. One thing the Lord said to Paul was “Take Courage!” Some translations say, “Be of good cheer!” Paul’s situation was pretty dire to be thinking about courage or cheerfulness. But that is exactly how we can face anything in life – with courage and even cheerfulness – because we know that we have the power of the Lord behind us, surrounding us and providing the foundation we are standing on. Hard times will come for all of us, maybe not the same as Paul endured, but we still suffer in this life. Knowing the Lord is with us and that we can trust Him with our very lives can give us the strength to “Take courage!” and,“Be of good cheer!”
