Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God

17 November 2024

Reading From Acts 7-8

“And Saul approved of their killing him.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.² Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³ But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.” —Acts 8:1-3

Satan sought to annihilate the work of Jesus through His people from the inception of the Church. We must be reminded that He that is in us is greater than He that is in the world and that we know how the story ends. The enemy of our souls thought that by persecuting our brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and causing them to disperse, that would squelch the growth of the Church.

This dark strategy backfired. The Church exploded with growth as all those persecuted and scattered members of the eternal family of God took the bright light of Jesus out into the countryside and villages of Judea and Samaria, just as the Lord had commanded in His clarification of His Great Commission to us in Acts 1:8. From there it would spread throughout the ancient world with Saul, who would become Paul, as one of the foremost persecutors turned champion of the Gospel.

“Lord, sometimes the work of the evil one seems to be winning. Please continue to remind us that You have and will prevail. Encourage and fortify Your sons and daughters for the fight ahead, bearing in mind and heart that the victory has already been won.”

For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory. —Deuteronomy 20:4

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. —II Chronicles 20:15