Daily Devotions
Monday, March 4, 2019
Acts 14:8-20 (NIV84) In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them. But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them. Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Paul's Work At Lystra
Lystra: Just think, Paul's doing good led to his persecution. In Paul's talk to the Lystrans in vv. 16-17 he reminds the people that they have no excuse to be worshiping a Zeus and a Hermes. Two other references (Acts 17:26-30 and Romans 1:19-23) also point out that it is man's fault that he does not search after the true God but settles for facsimiles that aren't even reasonable.

The Devil sends opponents from Antioch and Iconium to Lystra to get Paul there. This kind of thing with the Jews we see on the second journey also with the Jews of Thessalonica chasing after Paul to Berea. But even as those henchmen pursue the apostle, the angels hover overhead and the Lord is in charge and directs as He sees fit and in the best interests of His church. After Paul was stoned and left for dead, "he rose up and entered the city." This is the kind of courage we need today also to carry the Gospel into Satan's strongholds.
 
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