Title
What God Calls Good News
Scripture
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome."
(Acts 23:11)
Devotional
Because of Paul's testimony in Jerusalem, he was beaten and nearly torn in two. Nevertheless, God said, "Be of good cheer." You get to do it again at Rome. God sees suffering and persecution differently than we do. He sees it as an opportunity to testify of His power and presence in and through His disciples. James tells us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials."[24] It is in the hard times of life that God does His greatest work. I do not fully understand why and how suffering works to God's glory, but it does. Paul did go to Rome and it was from there that the church began to grow and find its foundation in God's Word. The testimony of the apostle Paul would not have been noted if he would not have been persecuted and imprisoned. His prison letters are some of the greatest writings know. While imprisoned, his faith grew even stronger and his character never wavered.