Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God by Kenton Cheek

6 July 2025

Reading From Acts 14

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”—Acts 14:15-17

In Lystra, Paul had seen that a lame man had faith to be healed and the believers were enabled by the Lord to perform signs and wonders in order to conform His Word. The lame man was healed when Paul told him to get up and he stood to his feet! It was not Paul acting alone in his own power, it was not solely the lame man’s faith, but rather Paul’s bold obedience, the lame man’s faith and the power of God all working together for His glory.

Paul uses the creation story of Genesis to evangelize the people of Lystra. It is important to note that Jesus referenced the story of Noah in His preaching. The entire Bible is the Word of God and Jesus is found throughout its sixty six books. As Saint Augustine wrote, “The new is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed” According to Paul in II Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Apostle Paul also speaks by inspiration of free will in verse sixteen he says that God let all nations “go their own way.” In His sovereignty and infinite wisdom, God has given mankind free moral agency to choose His way our their own. His way leads to life and peace while our own way leads to death and every form of trouble. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him.

“Lord Jesus, show us the way forward. Empower us by Your Spirit to see Your wonders that confirm Your Word to us. May we seek the whole counsel of Your Word as You guide us into all truth and lead us into our destiny. For in You we live and move and have our being. Amen.”

“Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”—Joshua 24:14-15