The Return of Courage

I am contented to consume my body, to sacrifice to God’s service, and to spend all that I have, and to be spent myself, for the souls of men. - Richard Baxter

When Paul and Barnabas miraculously healed a lame man in Lystra, the dumbfounded people assumed that Paul and Barnabas were the gods Zeus and Hermes. Paul and Barnabas assure the crowd that they were mere humans, like themselves.

Soon some of Paul’s detractors arrived, and the mob’s mood changed dramatically. They turned on Paul and stoned him until he appeared dead. But Paul survived the vicious attack, and he and Barnabas moved on to the nearby city of Derbe.

The record is unclear as to how long Paul and Barnabas ministered in Derbe, but their next stop was – of all places – back in Lystra. On Paul’s second missionary journey he again returned to Lystra where Timothy joined his inner circle. Amazingly, Paul probably visited Lystra once more on his third missionary journey.

If a mob had attacked me, peppered me with baseball sized rocks, and left me for dead, I would have stayed away. I would have found any excuse to steer clear and avoid a possible second attack.

Courageous Paul lived out the words of Jesus, “Do good to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27) What better ‘good’ than to share the gospel with those who need it the most?

Excelsior,

Dan Bolin

Author & President

Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc