Encouragement

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

ENCOURAGEMENT

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

Although most of this is a travel log and a list of those who traveled with Paul, one truth stands out: the word "encouragement." When he set out from Ephesus, after the uproar had settled down because of the City Clerk, Paul first called all the disciples and embraced or encouraged them, suggesting he wanted them to remain faithful to Jesus Christ. When he set out for Macedonia, he traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people. We should learn that lesson well and keep it deep within our being. We should always be about speaking words of encouragement and building each other up, so we all walk faithfully, steadfastly, persistently, and continually in our believing in Jesus. We know Jesus is supposed to be the center of our lives, being the very core of our daily walk or activities. That is everything we do, wherever we go, whoever we encounter, Jesus is the center of our attention, our thinking, our speaking, encouraging people to trust wholly in Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life; no one gets to the Father except through Jesus.  He is the resurrection and the life; the only way to live, even though we die, is because of or through the work of Jesus. We can encourage others to keep their faith in Jesus, for it is by faith we are saved, not by works or anything that we can do. Yet, although we need to have faith in Jesus for our salvation, it is solely Jesus' work that saves us. Our salvation is not based on our faith, but on the work of Jesus. In that sense, our faith means that we accept what Jesus did for us, believing it is all about Him and what he did. These are truly words of encouragement because we cannot save ourselves, but Jesus saves us. Our salvation does not depend on us; it depends on Jesus. Let us always speak words of encouragement to each other.