Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands (2 Corinthians 11:24-33)
Today's Morsel:When we look at the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, the key word is “Remember.” Moses wanted the children of Israel to remember everything that the Lord had done for them, how He brought them out of Egypt, how He fought for them, how He had provided for them, and how He delivered them. So he said, all the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years." He wanted them to remember because there is always a great danger when we forget too soon. When we forget what God has done for us, it causes us to be lifted up with pride and we say we don’t need the church, we’ve done all this by ourselves. When we look at the life of the apostle Paul, he is calling our attention to what God had done for him. This is done to enhance and increase our faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Paul went through many things in his life for the Gospel. Like Paul, there are many storms we encounter, not only natural, but also physical and spiritual storms as well. The account Paul gives of his life would have been enough to make even the strongest man in the world turn around and give up. But Paul had had an encounter with The One that can calm the storm. And so he said that none of those things moved him. Paul didn’t give up. He said "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Someone said, "No one really cares about the storms you faced at sea, they are only concerned if your brought the ship into port safely."
Sing: There's a storm out, on the ocean, and it's moving, this away. If your soul's not, anchored in Jesus, you will surely drift away!
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