Encourage

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

ENCOURAGE

Acts 20:1-6

20:1 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. 2 He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3 where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6 But we sailed from Philippi after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

NIV

Certainly a travel log in this portion of the book, as well as a rather extensive list of all the travelers. So what can we glean from this? The one point which seems to stand out is the fact that Paul encouraged them before he said good-by as well as he traveled through the area speaking many words of encouragement to the people. So the key word here in this section of the narrative in encourage, or encouragement. How often do we encourage our fellow believers? How often do we speak words of encouragement rather than other sorts of words?  How often do we here words of encouragement from our fellow believers? It seems all too often when we believers get together we either gossip about someone, or complain about something going on in the church, or talk about our own aches and pains, or whatever, but seldom do we here words of encouragement. Now of course rather than spend time complaining about how we seldom or never hear words of encouragement from others, we should be focused on the fact they seldom or never hear words of encouragement from us. This is something we need to be conscience of and more aware to do. We certainly have a whole bible full of material to encourage people about. If nothing else we can always tell others, that we praise God they are saved, that alone is encouraging. Yet that Greek word used here which is translated encourage is a form of the word used as the Comforter, the paracleat, the Holy Spirit or to exhort. This could also imply that we would or should be exhorting people to live a life closer to God, to continue in faith, to believe God more and more. But in some sense that is encouraging them to continue in their faith, encourage them to move forward with God, encourage them to be all that God would have them be. However, this might well mean that in order for us to encourage others we first must live out that which we encourage others to do. Maybe that is why we hear or speak little words of encouragement because none of us feel as if we are qualified to do so. But that would be wrong, or incorrect, or constipated thinking. We are all qualified as we all are washed in the blood of the lamb, and stand righteous in the sight of God. We all have the faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We all have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth, as well as a host of gifts, fruit and armor to empower us to be all that we can be. So let us encourage each other.