“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. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” 

Acts 14:19-20

In the above verses, Paul is stoned by the Jews and was thought to be stoned to death, but Paul “got up and went back into the city.  The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” Read that again and really think about what was just stated.  Paul was almost stoned to death, enough to where the Jews literally thought he was dead… and after suffering immense pain, Paul get’s up and that very next day, leaves for another mission.  THAT is what we call strength from the Lord.  THAT is the strength Paul refers to in 2nd Corinthians.  “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I am certain Paul was referring to the strength God had given him in many different situations, but reading that story in Acts, brought me back to what Paul said in his letter to the church of Corinth.  What Paul experienced in being stoned almost to death and then having the strength to get up and leave for another mission the very next day, has to be the power and strength that he’s referring to in 2nd Corinthians.  Without God’s strength, without the Holy Spirit’s power, without the conviction from the Holy Spirit, Paul would not have been able to get up and continue on with the mission.  I would argue that no one would be able to get up after almost being stoned to death and then the very next day, leave for the next mission.  If you continue reading in Acts, it says, “They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.” Acts 14:21.  So not only did they muster the strength to get up and leave for a new place, but he also preached again and won a large number of disciples.  Think about that type of persecution.  Paul was stoned (what was thought to be to death), and yet he did not waver.  Paul did not waver in his mission from God.  Paul did not walk away from where God led him.  No, Paul in his weakness, in his human frailty, GOT UP, and went to Derbe to win more over to Christ.  I imagine Paul struggled with the flesh throughout his entire walk. I imagine in this very story, Paul struggled to get up and to continue on in his mission.  I imagine Paul wanted to quit, because not only was this a mentally challenging experience, he was physically in immense pain.  We will fight many battles in this life, but the battle with the flesh will always be a difficult and present one.  Instead of relying on his strength, he relied on the Lord’s.  That’s God’s strength.  That is God giving him strength in his weakest of weaknesses.  Acts 14:21-22  

The text goes on to say “Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith, “we must go through hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” they said. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:22-23  So, the very strength that God had given them in their weakness, then enabled them to strengthen other disciples, both strength and encouragement.  We need to be continually reminded of the strength we receive from Christ because we know life is hard.  The Christian life is hard.  The enemy is very real and very active. But, we also know that in our weakness, God gives us strength and what a grace that is, the beautiful unmerited grace of God.  That is why we are to boast about our weaknesses.  It is in our weakness that God’s strength and God’s glory can be revealed even more.  Not only to strengthen our faith in Him, but others faith in Him as well.  

As you continue on throughout Acts 14, you read that after Pisidia, they went to Pamphylia, Perga, Attalia, and back to Antioch.  They kept going.  After walking out where God called them to, they returned back to Antioch and “reported all that God (not them) had done through them (not them), and how he (not them) had opened a door of faith to the gentiles.”  Acts 14:27  We see that after Paul and Barnabas’ hardships, they testified of God’s strength and way-making abilities to the church of Antioch, not their own.  Which brings me right back to 2nd Corinthians… “I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. Buf I refrain, so now one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassing great revelations. Therefore in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:5-10  Paul boasts about what the Lord did in opening the door to the gentiles faith.  Paul physically went through the hardship, suffered the persecution, and gave the rightful glory to the Lord for succeeding through it.  Boasting and delighting in the Lord.  THAT is God’s strength in our weakness.  THAT is living out “for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

May we be enabled and encouraged to look to God in our weaknesses and remember that out of our very weakest moments, God can and will strengthen us… and what a beautiful grace that is.