“For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” I Corinthians 15:9-10
The Apostle Paul was used by God to take the gospel to an astoundingly wide audience during his lifetime and to pen roughly one fourth of the New Testament. He was a zealous and driven individual who tirelessly worked to spread the message of Jesus Christ with an amazing efficiency. But Paul did not believe that he was worthy of any commendation or recognition because of the fact that he persecuted Christians before He was saved. No matter how far he travelled on his missionary journeys and no matter how many souls were saved as a result of his efforts, he still remembered the people he had hurt and the damage he had done to the cause of Christ. Paul recognized that it was God’s grace that allowed him to become a Christian, it was God’s grace that set him apart as an apostle, and it was God’s grace that inspired him and enabled him to work for the Lord. Paul recognized God’s calling upon his life, and he felt responsible to do something with it. God has a plan for each one of us. He has people for us to help and encourage. He has responsibilities for us to fulfill. He leads each one of us individually and enables us to do what He wants us to do. By God’s grace, each one of us can carry out His plan in our lives.
Morning: Psalms 146-147
Evening: I Corinthians 15:1-28