Monday 15 Jan 2018

January 15: Acts 19:8-12

Key Verse: Acts 19:9
But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

Devotion:
How many times have you been faced with someone who refuses to believe what you tell them about Christ. I'm not talking about the ones who will give you some time to explain and then move on to something else, I'm talking about the few who will continue to argue that there is no God no matter what you say. I'm talking about the ones who will go out of their way to spread gossip about you just because you dared to tell them about God. Or maybe they would tell others how stupid you are for believing in God. I am sure we will all face a few of those people in our lives, but it should not stop us from spreading the gospel.

There is no reason why a single person or small portion of people doing these sorts of things should stop you from continuing to help others to see the light. There is no reason why they should spoil it for the rest of us. The only way to tackle those sorts of people are to continue doing what you do best – encourage other people. If you are faced with people like that who are totally obstinate, move on to new people. They should not be the ones who should discourage you. They have chosen not to believe, and they have proven their choice by doing what they do.

What we need to do is to continue showing others that we care for them. We need to continue trusting in God to supply for our needs so we can continue to spread His gospel. By doing that we become a living example of His love and truth. By becoming that example, others will see His light and truth, even the one who have been shouting you down for so long. Paul was given great responsibility and powers of healing so He could show others some of God's power – he did it all through faith and continued no matter how many people turned their backs on God!

Points to Ponder:
Do people get you down when they put down God?

How often do you show that you live your life for God?