Summer is in full swing, and before kids have to go back to school, I felt the need to take a vacation. I went online and found an itinerary that would tantalize and excite any traveler!
Five different times receive 39 lashes.
Three times get beaten with rods.
Three times get shipwrecked.
Spend a whole day and night adrift at sea.
Travel facing dangers from rivers and robbers.
Face danger in cities, deserts, and on the seas.
Face dangers from people claiming to be fellow believers.
Work hard and endure sleepless nights.
Go hungry and thirsty.
Shiver in the cold without adequate clothing.
I know, all of you are now ready to ask me for the link to this vacation website so you can sign up too!
This is what Paul described he had gone through in order to bring the Good News to people. He goes on to say that that is not even the half of it. When you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches, he feels at the end of his rope and feels the desperation in his bones. When he hears of someone getting duped into sin, he gets an angry fire burning in his gut. (vs. 28-29)
He goes on to say how at one point he was supposed to be arrested at the city gates, but he crawled through a window in the all, and was let down in a basket. That’s why I love the honesty of the Bible. I mean seriously, what man would brag about that?
But it is summed up beautifully when he says, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10)
So pack your sunscreen and join me this summer on a vacation of a lifetime, that ends with spending eternity with Jesus in heaven!
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God Still Speaks 
My question has to be: Is it fully inclusive? I wouldn’t want to miss out on anything on the way to the glorious ending.
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You are awesome brother! I love this!
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When I look back at vacations in the past, I often think I was beaten. I had to get home to rest. Thank you for the reminder that this is just a vacation and someday we get to go home to Jesus.
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I know the feeling, where you need a vacation from your vacation!
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I love the way you told the Apostle Paul’s story! I’ve discovered, these past 3 years especially, the following truth: “If you lead you bleed.”
The price of leadership often involves a “vacation “ like Paul’s. But like he said, “Woe to me if I don’t preach the gospel!”
PS. You forgot my favorite vacation destination of Paul’s—when God knocked him off his horse and blinded him for three days.
Great post, Sister Super-C! God Bless!
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The start of the whole vacation package for Paul!
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Exactly! That’s why it’s my favorite part. Every vacation starts somewhere. 🤗
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