Day 106: Paul & Barnabus

Acts 14; Joshua 22; Job 31

Paul and Barnabus face all sorts of difficulties.  First, people get angry at them, then they try to stone them, then people try to worship them instead of God, then they do stone them, and finally they head back to the church.  That is a rough week.  But these two never give up.  They preach about God's kindness in the midst of hatred.  They share about God's miracles in the midst of controversy.  They stand tall with courage and retaliate in love in the midst of persecution. I've never been threatened for my life because of my faith, and part of me hopes I never am.  However, I know I could face ridicule, controversy, hatred, rejection for it.  I hope and pray that I am like Paul and Barnabus in the midst of their journey:  being faithful and strong in The Lord, no matter what the circumstances.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad built an altar because they were worried about what future generations would say.  I suppose that makes sense.  Part of life and faith is about passing on the message of Jesus, and grandparents and parents often pass on things to remind the younger generations of who they are.  I pray that when I become a grandparent, I would be able to pass on a legacy of devotion and faith in The Lord.

The other thing that sort of stands out in this story is how quickly the rest of the tribes were to investigate what they thought was disobedience.  They were ready to wipe out their ancestors if they were disobeying God.  Today, we need to be quick to remove the sin in our lives and assist in removing sin from the lives of our family and friends.  This doesn't mean we go around accusing people of their sin, but that when someone is struggling, we pray for them, help to keep them accountable, pour out love and truth for them.