“On seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage” Acts 28:15

Its great to be together. We need the nurturing fellowship of the church in order to live. God knew how much we would need encouragement so he planned for Christians to be together as his family. The discouragement of daily living is overcome by the daily encouragement from God through his providence, his church, and his Word.

As Paul’s travels came to an end, one of the fascinating pieces of the record is that God arranged for Paul to be in the presence of encouraging people. God providentially provides similar encouragement for us even now.

Observe how God encouraged Paul. He placed encouraging people in his path.  The Bible says, “On seeing them, he thanked God and took courage.” Brethren from Rome came some distance just to be around Paul and lift him up. Just as God had provided for Paul with Barnabas, so now he did so with these unnamed brethren.

Also notice Paul’s response to the visit. The first thing he did was to thank God for his brethren. We too have the responsibility to be thankful for the people God places in our path. What a blessing it is to be a part of his church. What a mistake it is to neglect the assembly.

Finally Paul took courage. We need that courage to make it. Please, allow the God of Heaven to encourage you through his church on earth.