What A Will
Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:19-22
What a will Paul had. His devotion was marvellous; his endurance amazing; his dedication to the Lord is commendable, and is a great example to us. Paul preached and preached the word of God. And Paul was stoned severely so that the people thought that he was dead.
However, this was not the end for Paul. He got up, went to Derbe, and continued to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. Even after the severe pain and hurt that he had been dealt, he taught others of Christ. He likely could still feel the pain - the bruises and cuts - from the stones colliding with his body and ripping into his skin, while he preached some more - while he taught of entering the kingdom through many tribulations.
What an admirable quality Paul had. It makes it easy to see how some people could try and worship him as we can see prior to the above situation, in Acts 14:8-18.
But while this grand endurance and will that Paul possessed may seem almost supernatural, we know that it is not. It is a trait that each one of us can possess. It will take hard work to achieve this kind of will that Paul had, but we should each be striving to have that kind of devotion and dedication to the Lord.
As Solomon said in 1 Kings 8:61: Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.”
We want to have hearts like Paul’s; hearts that are loyal to God - completely devoted - so that we will have that will and drive to continue to walk with the Lord, keeping His commandments, no matter what we face.
-- John Thrower Jr.