As I write this devotion, which begins our last Quarterly Devotional for the year, I remember some of the painful things that have occurred in the first nine months  of this year, such as the number of tragic killings that  have claimed  the lives of so many of  our youth. These tragic events  linger in my heart and on my mind daily. They serve as  painful reminders that evil and hatred are very much alive. We live in a time where many do not fear the Lord in the manner in which they should. If ever we needed the Lord, it is now. In Acts 14:19, we find these words:

“Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.”

The people stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead. There was every reason to believe that they had succeeded in killing him. He looked dead, but in reality, he was not. God interceded on his behalf, because He had more work for him to do. Luke describes Paul’s experience as one in which God’s mercy would prevail. It is utterly amazing what God will do to rescue His people from the hands of death. We cannot appreciate God’s grace and mercy without looking back over our lives to see how God has stepped in. There are countless stories of how others have escaped the hands of the enemy who did everything he could to bring forth demise. But, God! Praise God today, for the memories that remind us that we serve an awesome God.