Acts 23:11
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage. For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome."
Have you ever been called into the bosses office for something that you knew was going to cause a stir? Or have you had to go to the principal's office for discussion of situation that came up at school? These situations and many others can turn your stomach, put you on edge and cause great fear. In life, there are many trials and tests. History speaking, a good example was the greatest generation and those that fought in WW2. Their mettle was put to the test.
Today we find Paul being rescued by civil officials for "fear of being torn apart" by the crowd concerning Paul's testimony. That night the Lord told Paul to take courage, for the real witness for him will be in Rome. Rome was where the emperor lived. Rome was the seat of paganism and worship of the emperor as a god. The Lord was going to use Paul to go to Rome and preach. Rome was where the lions lived. The words "God have mercy" had to have crossed his mind. They do for us when we face great trial and our faith is put to a test that we are not sure we can endure. Pray today for the holy boldness and strength not only to pass through the test but to do so with great courage knowing that God is always with us and in us.
