Father, thank You for Your continued touch on me physically. Every day I am feeling better and pray to soon be over it. Praise Your Holy Name for Your daily care and providence!
Acts 13:2-6a (<<click here to read the passage)
One of my fondest memories from my college days was a wonderful opportunity I had to participate in a summer ministry program in my home district of West Virginia.
There is a lot to tell but here’s the short version. My beloved Uncle, Merlin Provance, was a well-respected pastor and leader on the district and was instrumental in helping us get all the pieces and parts we needed. I along with two wonderful young ladies, all three of us children of pastors who served churches on the district, worked the entire summer canvassing door-to-door for churches trying to reach out to their communities, we held children’s services composed of music, puppets, puzzles, and all kinds of things introducing them to Jesus!
It was wonderful working with each other, multiple pastors, fine laypersons from each church, and many respected district leaders. Only God knows how many lives were touched for eternity because my Uncle Merlin took to heart a young man’s dreams and helped bring them to fruition.
I share this experience because I can’t help but think about how Saul (Paul) felt. Here he and Barnabas stood ready to take the first step of what God would use them to accomplish. This would be looked upon as his first missionary journey. Oh, the lives the Lord touched through him! How many millions of people have had their lives changed for eternity because of the many letters (epistles) to churches and people that he impacted along the way! (He is believed to have written 13 of the 27 books of the New Testament!)
And it began with these verses…
One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Appoint Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the island of Cyprus. There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
Afterward they traveled from town to town across the entire island…
Now if you look at what God has accomplished through my life and the lives of Debbie and Nita, my ministry partners, we can’t hold a candle to Paul, but we each have boldly carried our lights. We have impacted as parents, church leaders, a pastor, a teacher, and all the many things I can’t remember or do not know…but God does. And only eternity will tell what we each have done with the Lord’s blessing in our lives. Each and every one of us – you, too! – have a part to play in God’s big story!
Apr 25th, 2022, Mon, 7:51 pm
