Hello and welcome to Thursday’s podcast. If the day has just started, or as we know that many of you listen in to this podcast in the morning around the breakfast table or during the commute, I hope that today is a great day. My name is James and it is a privilege to share the reflections on the podcast this week.

REFLECTION:

Let me change up how I normally start these podcasts – I know over the last few days I have been very quick to get into the Bible story. There has been a lot to share! Let me begin today with a question this time: where is the most comfortable place you know? Where do you feel most at ease and why?

For many of us it is most likely a familiar place. Somewhere like home or our parents’ home… its nice to be looked after sometimes and not do the cleaning up. Especially so when you have kids of your own. It might be those places because of the people we know there – they are familiar and safe.

Let me just change the goal posts slightly, what about when the pressure is on? when we are frustrated? Have you ever thought about where you go to for comfort? For me, it is not always to the prayer room. I wish it was. Some of us eat, some of us tweet, some of us look for it in the attention of others.

Today we are looking at Acts 18:1-11; this is where Paul and Silas spend some time in Corinth before bringing this second big trip they have done to a close. The last few days we have heard some of the most inspiring stories in the book of Acts about people coming to faith and being baptised. There have been a lot of phrases such as “then immediately he and all his household were baptized.” (Acts 16:34). Whereas today we change a gear. We move out of the fast lane into a different pace. We read that hear Paul stays in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

In this podcast today we are going to think about the comfort of God’s presence.

In v6 Paul seems frustrated. After receiving some abuse from the Jews “he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”

Later on in the passage, in v9&10, God speaks to Paul, encouraging him to remain in Corinth despite his frustrations, because God apparently has many people to bring to faith there. In the face of opposition, God steps in with faithful love to strengthen Paul’s resolve. Let me read verse 9 & 10 now…

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

After hearing these words, how does God promise his protection? He does it through a dream. And he promises to be with them. His presence. The comfort of his presence is better than the comfort of any place. It goes on to suggest that his presence is protection for Paul from fear, anxiety and doubt. God’s presence casting out fear is a recurring theme in Scripture. Moses encouraged Joshua, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed”. God continually offers his comfort through the words of the Prophets, and the beautiful words of the Psalms, many of us will know the words of Psalm 23… ,“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And Jesus promises his presence at the close of his last words of commission to the church: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” Matt 28:20. This isn’t a one off moment in the story we have today in Acts 18. It happens all the way through the Bible and it still happens today with me and with you.

I don’t know if you feel frustrated today, or if you feel frustrated later. Paul certainly was frustrated in this story.