The Lord said to Paul in a night vision,“Don’t be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9-10)
At this point in the story we are given the narrative of Paul’s first visit to Corinth and his commitment to spreading the gospel to the Gentiles despite the difficulty he had faced prior. After his first missionary journey, Paul had been nearly stoned to death by the Jews in Lystra and in his second, he was imprisoned with Silas in Philippi. But God had a plan for Corinth and for the Gentiles there as there. The same can be said for where we are called to spread the Gospel in our own lives. We, too, are on mission even when it may be in our own home.
We can’t be certain, but if Paul was like any of us, he probably had a plan thought out on his own to skip out of Corinth quickly and move on to a place where the gospel would actually be received. But God’s plan is bigger than what can be imagined, and He knew exactly where Paul’s headspace was and met him where he needed it. Despite the difficulty, Paul was ready to obey though he was fearful (God wouldn’t have commanded Paul to not be afraid if he wasn’t). God told Paul he was with him, and when God says he is with us, he means it. Paul had even seen God do miracles even after his stoning and imprisonment, and God certainly would do them again in the salvation of the Gentiles in Corinth.
Take a moment to be reminded of the good that God has done in your life, big or small, and most of all, the love of Christ that has rescued us from eternal separation from God. God was on mission for you, and is still on mission for the people who have yet to know Him. Wherever you are, God has many people in your city or town. We should be honored to be a part of his mission and to have opportunities to grow in our faith despite the difficulties we may face. Thankfully, we don’t have to do it alone as God is with us through His Holy Spirit and the brothers and sisters in Christ that surround us.