We all have an idea about the things of God that is formed by our experience and ideas, our culture and our own traditions. In this passage the Apostle Paul sets the record straight by clarifying who God is and what he’s done so we can live according to the truth.

As we walk through life desiring to be faithful witnesses of Jesus, we may find it difficult along the way. But remembering that God is working out all things in the small and the big, is ultimately what keeps us going.

There are some conflicts where we simply have to agree to disagree, and some where we can bend over backward for each other in the name of love and in a desire for peace and unity. However there are some conflicts that are not negotiable, and guarding the gospel of grace is one of those.

Jesus’ promise that the gospel would go to the ends of the earth will take a massive leap forward as Paul and Barnabas set off for their first missionary journey, proclaiming God’s Word, and facing opposition.

As the gospel continues to go out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, we see God use different forms of  hardship to strengthen his church and make his unstoppable Word flourish.

In a world living in the fear of plague, famine and death, Psalm 91 stands out as a declaration of the confidence the child of God can have when they find rest in the shadow of God Almighty.