I am ashamed to admit that we were too timid to do those things!

But if anyone dares to boast about something - I am talking like a fool - I will be just as daring. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I. Are they Christ's servants? I sound like a madman - but I am a better servant than they are! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more times, I have been whipped much more, and I have been near death more often. Five times I was given the thirty-nine lashes by the Jews; three times I was whipped by the Romans; and once I was stoned. I have been in three shipwrecks, and once I spent twenty-four hours in the water. In my many travels I have been in danger from fellow Jews and from Gentiles; there have been dangers in the cities, dangers in the wilds, dangers on the high seas, and dangers from false friends. There has been work and toil; and I have gone without sleep; I have been hungry and thirsty; I have often been without enough food, shelter, or clothing. And not to mention other things, every day I am under the pressure of my concern for all the churches. When someone is weak, then I feel weak too; when someone is led into sin, I am filled with distress.

2 Corinthians 11:21-29

There is nothing that can help someone survive than to know that there is meaning in one's life. Paul spoke strongly, because he had meaning in his life. He worked for Jesus Christ. What more meaning could a life have. We also have a purpose and a task - God has called each of us to bear witness to the gospel of the grace of God. We may or may not suffer as Paul did, but we can find in our faith a meaning that helps us walk steadfastly through life's toughest experiences.

Knowing God gives meaning to life;

Obeying God gives purpose to life.

Our Daily Bread - February 28, 2003