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| And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” Acts 18:9-10. |
These verses always send me back to the beginning of my journey as a believer. Can you imagine the Apostle Paul being afraid? Neither could I when the Lord first showed me these verses. The City of Corinth was definitely not a city that would be receptive to the Gospel, but surely Paul wouldn’t be fearful there, would he? Certainly not Paul, but I’m getting ahead of myself…
You see, back when I first discovered these verses I was a fairly new believer; whose faith was smaller than a mustard seed. I looked at faith as more of a passive, internal conviction. I trusted God in my heart and mind, but not so much through my actions. I desired to do great things for God as long as He didn’t take me out of my comfort zone! I loved attending Bible studies and reading His word on my own. I even grew brave enough to pray out loud with others! But I never, ever thought to teach other believers! That was until the Lord began to impress upon me that that was exactly His will for me!
Surely not! I couldn’t possibly be hearing Him correctly! After all, He knew how very shy I was! I was always content to simply be in the room to listen to others. No one needed to ever call on me and I certainly wouldn’t volunteer. He knew better than I how very little of God’s Word I had memorized, and was able to find in His Word! There were so many, many other Christians who had been walking with Him far longer than I had been at the time. Surely, I must have misunderstood Him. But He kept persisting in spite of all my efforts to remind Him of all the facts I’ve just stated.
Finally, one day He had me turn to 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (AMP),
As for myself, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony and evidence or mystery and secret of God in lofty words of eloquence or human philosophy and wisdom;2 For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified.3 And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you.4 And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them],5 So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.
Can you believe this is Paul talking
here? Neither could I at the time, but he’s recounting for the Corinthians this
very moment in Acts 18. I could definitely relate to all Paul was feeling at
that moment. Can you?
Has there ever been a time when God called you to step out
of your comfort zone and take a new step of faith? Perhaps even now, for I can
assure you, teaching women was not the last step of faith He’s called me to
take over the past 30 years.
It seems, just as soon as I grow comfortable on the step I’m on, The Lord calls me to take another step! My faith over the years has been stretched in multiple ways, and as a result, my faith has grown and matured. To best sum up all I have learned through these times is; faith is tested and proved through our action. James said as much in James 2:17, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”.
So where in your life can you see God stretching your faith? Have you recently taken a new step; venturing out into the unknown? Or is He calling you to take one? If so, I, as well as Paul, want to encourage you to take that step! I can promise you, you’ll not regret it.
I may have hesitated in the past, but I’ve never regretted any step I’ve taken, for the Lord is always there ready to bless incredibly!!