Acts 14:19-20, 19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20, “But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city (NIV)
Paul moved from city to city preaching the gospel. As many believed, some Jews stirred strife to confuse the Gentiles. When this wasn’t working fast, they planned to stone Paul. In another incident, Paul and Barnabas escaped from Iconium to Lystra and Derbe having been made aware that the Jews were conspiring to stone them.
How would you react if you learned that what God wanted to accomplish through you was in jeopardy? The life you held dear is threatened by challenges of life. You make an tempt to progress yet there is such a great opposition from people and situations, words stoning you, frustrations and fears stoning you. Paul was preaching GOOD NEWS, that did not exempt him from trouble. God deposited in Paul despite his life in danger, few friends and more enemies, not wanted in cities. When we understand our call, nothing will terminate the work God has started. Paul’s time had not come, therefore no stones could kill him. They dragged him out of the city supposing he was dead, he picked himself up and went back into the city.
“I am still here”, God is not done with me. Phil 1:6 “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”. Are you glad you are still here regardless of what you went through in your childhood and the last few painful episodes in your life?