2 Corinthians 11:24-28 ESV
“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. (40 lashes were a death sentence) Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;  on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles,  danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.  And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”

Paul suffered Immensely at the hands of his own people the Jews, from his own countrymen the Romans and from the hands of the Gentiles, the very people he was trying to lead to Christ. He stood the test, he wrote 14 books of the 27 New Testament books and started 39 churches.

Paul saw the good in bad in every nationality but still tried to lead kings, emperors and magistrates to Jesus Christ. He touched the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highest. He deserves to be counted as a great man of faith.

Paul was not proud but steadfast. He would say I. 1 Corinthians 2:1-4, “…I came to you, brothers… not…(with) lofty speech or wisdom.  For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling,  and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power…”

Prayer:
Father, my complaining will do no good, it will only make people stumble. I have not endured what Paul has, the physical and emotional pains. My words of wisdom will do no good on their own. What will speak volumes is the demonstration of the Holy Spirit of God in my ministry. That’s where I want to be Lord God, used by You for Your glory!