Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: Acts 13
- Secondary Reading: Psalms 4
Key Verse
Acts 13:27 — “For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.”
Devotional Thought
The church at Antioch was a remarkable congregation—a mix of prophets and teachers including Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been raised alongside Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. These were men of diverse backgrounds, yet they ministered together before the Lord with fasting and prayer. It was in that posture of worship and waiting that the Holy Ghost spoke: “Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.” The church fasted and prayed further, laid hands on them, and sent them forth. Thus began the first missionary journey, with the Spirit Himself as the sending agent.
The narrative that follows shows both opposition and open doors. At Paphos, the sorcerer Elymas withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy Sergius Paulus from the faith. Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, pronounced blindness upon him—and the deputy, astonished at the doctrine of the Lord, believed. From there they traveled to Perga, then to Antioch in Pisidia, where Paul stood in the synagogue and preached a sweeping sermon from Israel’s history through David to Jesus, declaring forgiveness of sins and justification by faith. Some believed; others were filled with envy and contradicted. Paul and Barnabas waxed bold: “Lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” And the Gentiles were glad, glorifying the word of the Lord.
In these early days of January, when the year stretches before us and we consider what God might call us to do, this chapter reminds us that divine direction often comes in the context of corporate worship and fasting. The believers at Antioch did not manufacture a strategy; they ministered to the Lord, and the Spirit spoke. When opposition arose, they did not retreat but pressed forward with boldness. When some rejected the word, they shook off the dust and moved on, and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.
The psalmist’s cry in Psalm 4 echoes this confidence: “Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” God does not leave His servants without comfort. “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.” Whether we face the sorcery of Elymas or the envy of religious crowds, the Lord who set apart Barnabas and Saul still sets apart His people for His work. He hears when we call. He gives gladness in the heart greater than abundance of corn and wine. And He sends us forth—not alone, but filled with His Spirit.
Reflection
- When the church at Antioch fasted and ministered to the Lord, the Holy Ghost spoke specifically about Barnabas and Saul. Am I creating space in my own life for that kind of listening prayer, or am I too busy to hear whom God might be setting apart?
- Paul and Barnabas faced rejection and persecution but “were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” What does it look like for me to experience joy and the Spirit’s fullness even when the response to the gospel is not what I hoped?
Prayer
O God of our righteousness, who enlarged Thy servants in distress and set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work of the gospel, we come before Thee with open hearts. Teach us to minister to Thee with fasting and prayer, that we might hear Thy voice clearly in this new year. When opposition rises, fill us with the Holy Ghost and with boldness. When doors close, give us grace to shake off the dust and press on. We ask for the gladness that exceeds earthly abundance, and for the peace that lets us lie down and sleep in safety. Make us faithful witnesses, we pray, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm Verse
Psalms 4:1 — “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.”