“That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, ‘Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.’” (Acts 23:11 NLT)

 

The apostle Paul was blessed with a tremendous circle of friends and fellow laborers for Christ. He gave shout-outs to several of them in his letters.

“Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. . . . I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. . . . Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. . . . Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. . . . Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house” (Colossians 4:7–15 NLT).

Yet, for various reasons, his friends weren’t always available to him. Paul concluded his last letter with this emotional plea: “Timothy, please come as soon as you can. Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me” (2 Timothy 4:9–11 NLT).

Paul was no stranger to loneliness. Yet he was never really alone. God was with him, as we talked about in last week’s devotions. And God was all he really needed.

Acts23:11 says, “That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, ‘Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well’” (NLT). Be encouraged. Some people might say that seems like a lot to ask, considering the circumstances. Paul had just endured a hostile hearing and had been taken back into Roman custody for doing God’s work. But the Lord assured him that his ministry was not over. Paul would preach the Good News in Rome as well.

Paul trusted God, but he also struggled with some very real human emotions—starting with loneliness. And who can blame him? Sometimes God’s call can seem like a solitary journey. The people we turn to in other areas of our life aren’t always available to us or sympathetic to our needs.

That’s when we need to ask God to make His presence known to us as He did for Paul. The Lord’s company is all we need. God blesses us with family, friends, and fellow workers to share fellowship. But occasionally, we need to be reminded that He is all we require.

We all face prisons, of sorts. But we never face them alone.

 

Reflection question: When was the last time you got a very real sense that God was with you? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, &lsquo;Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Acts 23:11 NLT)
&nbsp;
The apostle Paul was blessed with a tremendous circle of friends and fellow laborers for Christ. He gave shout-outs to several of them in his letters.
&ldquo;Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord&rsquo;s work. . . . I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. . . . Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas&rsquo;s cousin. . . . Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. . . . Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house&rdquo; (Colossians 4:7&ndash;15 NLT).
Yet, for various reasons, his friends weren&rsquo;t always available to him. Paul concluded his last letter with this emotional plea: &ldquo;Timothy, please come as soon as you can.&nbsp;Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia.&nbsp;Only Luke is with me&rdquo; (2 Timothy 4:9&ndash;11 NLT).
Paul was no stranger to loneliness. Yet he was never really alone. God was with him, as we talked about in last week&rsquo;s devotions. And God was all he really needed.
Acts 23:11 says, &ldquo;That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, &lsquo;Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well&rsquo;&rdquo; (NLT). Be encouraged. Some people might say that seems like a lot to ask, considering the circumstances. Paul had just endured a hostile hearing and had been taken back into Roman custody for doing God&rsquo;s work. But the Lord assured him that his ministry was not over. Paul would preach the Good News in Rome as well.
Paul trusted God, but he also struggled with some very real human emotions&mdash;starting with loneliness. And who can blame him? Sometimes God&rsquo;s call can seem like a solitary journey. The people we turn to in other areas of our life aren&rsquo;t always available to us or sympathetic to our needs.
That&rsquo;s when we need to ask God to make His presence known to us as He did for Paul. The Lord&rsquo;s company is all we need. God blesses us with family, friends, and fellow workers to share fellowship. But occasionally, we need to be reminded that He is all we require.
We all face prisons, of sorts. But we never face them alone.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When was the last time you got a very real sense that God was with you?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.