My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to Acts 22-28 in a lesson titled “A Minister and a Witness.” The lesson was preceded by this counsel: “Impressions from the Holy Ghost are often quiet and sometimes fleeting. Recording your impressions allows you to reflect on them more deeply. As you read Acts 22-28, write down the thoughts and feelings that come to you, and take time to ponder them.” Then the lesson was introduced in the following paragraph.
“When we are on the Lord’s errand,”
President Thomas S. Monson promised, “we are entitled to the Lord’s help” (“To
Learn, to Do, to Be,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 62). We are
not entitled, however, to a smooth road and an endless stream of successes. For
proof of this, we need look no further than Paul the Apostle. His errand from
the Savior was “to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the
children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). In chapters 22-28 of Acts, we see Paul
fulfilling this errand and facing great opposition – chains, imprisonment,
physical abuse, a shipwreck, and even a snake attack. But we also see that
Jesus “stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul” (Acts 23:11). Paul’s
experiences are an inspiring reminder that the Lord’s call to “declare [His]
gospel with the sound of rejoicing” comes with this promise: “Lift up your hearts
and be glad, for I am in your midst” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:4-5; see also
Matthew 28:19-20).
The
principle discussed in this post is “The Lord stands by those who strive to
serve Him” (Acts 23:10-11; 27:13-25, 40-44). Paul’s ministry illustrates
clearly that the presence of difficulties in our lives is not proof that God does
not support us or the work that we are doing.
Knowledge
of the plan for our eternal happiness reminds us that we came to earth to be tested
and tried. If life is always sunshine and roses, there will be no need for
tests, trials, or tribulations. Therefore, there will be no personal growth.
Paul
was an Apostle or a special witness of Jesus Christ. Paul had seen Jesus Christ
in a vision on the road to Damascus. He had heard the voice of the Lord. Yet, he
needed tests, trials, and tribulations to help him to develop greater faith in
Jesus Christ. His will to serve the Lord despite difficulties had to be tested
and tried. The same is true for each of us. We will first look at the scripture
block to see Paul’s situation.
Acts 23:10-11
10 And when there arose a great
dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces
of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among
them, and to bring him into the castle.
11 And the night following the Lord
stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of
me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
Paul
had returned to Jerusalem with the understanding that he may be killed there,
and he willingly returned. Now, the Lord told him to “be of good cheer” because
he was not going to be killed in Jerusalem. How could he testify of Christ in
Rome if the Jews killed him in Jerusalem?
Paul
claimed his right as a Roman to stand before Caeser, so the soldiers put him in
a ship and headed to Rome. The journey started late in the season, and Paul (as
an Apostle of the Lord) told them that they would be in danger if they
continued their journey. The owner of the ship did not want to stay where they
were for the winter.
Acts 27:13-25, 40-44
13 And when the south wind blew softly,
supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they
sailed close by Crete.
14 But not long after there arose against
it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.
15 And when the ship was caught, and
could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.
16 And running under [south of] a
certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat:
17 Which when they had taken up, they
used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the
quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
18 And we being exceedingly tossed with
a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;
19 And the third day we cast out
with our own hands the tackling of the ship.
20 And when neither sun nor stars in
many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we
should be saved was then taken away.
21 But after long abstinence Paul stood
forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me,
and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.
22 And now I exhort you to be of good
cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of
the ship.
23 For there stood by me this night the
angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be
brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with
thee.
25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer:
for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.
40 And when they had taken up the anchors,
they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and
hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.
41 And falling into a place where two
seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained
unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves.
42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to
kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.
43 But the centurion, willing to save
Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could
swim should cast themselves into the sea, and get to land:
44 And the rest, some on boards, and
some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they
escaped all safe to land.
The
Lord stood by Paul because Paul was on an errand for Him. The Lord wanted Paul
to testify before Caesar, and He protected Paul. What does the Lord want you to
do? How has He stood by you? President Thomas S. Monson gave the following
counsel in the October 2008 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints:
Now, some of you may be shy by nature or
consider yourselves inadequate to respond affirmatively to a calling. Remember
that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we
are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that the
Lord will shape the back to bear the burden
placed upon it.”
