Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

I love when I read the Bible and I get to witness actual accounts of God’s people walking in faith and doing some impossible things. What sticks out to me in Acts 13 is that three guys potentially face some major opposition just by sharing some news (the news of Jesus) with anyone they encounter.

Some reading this may think that’s not hard, but I would like to help us grapple with the idea of how against the NORM this action was. Think of yourself as an avid sports fan for a team that no one in your family or hometown supported. When your team comes to play the hometown team, instead of staying home to watch the game from the safety of your recliner you say, “Nope, I’m going!” You not only go, but you choose to sit on the home team’s side. Everyone around you looks at you because you’re wearing the opposing team’s colors; their stares threaten you not to cheer; they make fun of you when your team messes up; and they shout at you when your team succeeds. You are basically in a lose-lose situation.

I know this is a small example of what Barnabas, Paul, and John experienced when they traveled to the island of Cyprus with the Good News of Jesus. They had to have been nervous and even scared at times. The one thing I know they were sure of was that they were not alone. They had each other, the support of the friends and family of believers back in Antioch, and most importantly they had the assurance of knowing Jesus was with them through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We can all agree that it can be easy to feel like we are alone, isolated, and that no one wants to be near us. I admit I can easily fall into this trap when faced with any adversity, confrontation, or negativity that comes my way. What I have learned is that Jesus desperately wants me to know that He is with me and shows Himself when I least expect it, every time. Then the next time life tries to knock me down, I remember when Jesus stepped in before and that assures me that He will again.

We get to see how He showed up for Barnabas, Paul, and John in times of trouble. We read in Acts 13:12 of the impossible happening because Paul and Barnabas taught Jesus. The so-called Governor of Cyprus was SO amazed that he became a believer himself. He even shared it with the citizens of Cyprus!

This should show us that He not only will provide the security of His Spirit, but He will also give us people who would not hesitate to go with us, support us, and encourage us on our journey.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• Are you currently spending time with God? I’m talking uninterrupted devoted time with Him. If not, I encourage you to take some time, look at your calendar, and find the blank space with no appointments or to-dos and dedicate it to HIM. Start with 1 minute. You will be surprised how refreshing that will be for you and how quickly the 1 minute expands to 10 minutes and beyond.
  
• What does your time with Jesus look like? A good place to start is to simply listen to Him. Sit and be still.
  
• Begin consistently reading God’s Word. Commit to following along with the Bible Reading Plan found in the Venture Church app. Read the passage, re-read it, ask God to show you what He is saying, write what He is saying to you specifically, pray about it, and lastly, apply it to your life.