Acts 23:11 (KJV)
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
Paul had earlier stated that he was willing not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem. Here the Lord encourages him that he would not die there, but be a witness also in Rome.
There is nothing in this promise that implies relief of the trial. There is only a promise
- That the Jews will not kill him
- That he will be given further opportunities to witness
Cheer can happen in the most unsuspecting ways. Paul was cheered:
By the Lord Himself
Find your joy in the Lord and you can be happy anywhere.
By an acknowledgment of his testimony
That God has been a witness of our ministry can be a great encouragement. We are not alone even when no one stands with us. We might feel like we have failed. But God has been in the stands cheering us along.
By a promise of future service
He hadn’t cast Paul away or put him on a shelf. He wasn’t confining Paul to ineffectiveness. He was merely opening new doors of opportunity.
To my readers:
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Acts 23:11 What Cheered Paul
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