Bruised but not Broken
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
Rev Tetteh-Annor Larbi | August 8 2025 | Acts 14:15-20
KEY VERSE: “¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.” Acts 14:19-20 (NIV)
MESSAGE:
Paul had just been part of a great miracle in Lystra—a man crippled from birth was healed through faith. But the same crowd that once praised Paul soon turned against him, stirred by opposition. He was stoned, left to die, and dragged out of the city. From a human perspective, it looked like defeat. But what happened next revealed the power of perseverance: Paul got up and walked back into the very city that tried to kill him. His body may have been bruised, but his spirit was not broken.
This moment speaks volumes about the resilience of faith. Paul didn’t give up on his mission because of pain. He didn’t let rejection or suffering silence his calling. Sometimes we face spiritual “stonings”—attacks, criticisms, or failures that leave us wounded. But like Paul, we are called to rise again, not in our own strength, but in the strength of the One who called us. Being bruised is not a sign of weakness; it's often proof of obedience in a broken world.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
When life knocks you down, remember that the same God who raised Paul from the dust can lift you, too. You may carry bruises from battles you've faced—emotional, spiritual, or even physical—but God is not finished with you. Get up. Go back. Keep walking. You’re not broken beyond use. You're living proof that grace empowers the wounded to rise again.
PRAYER:
Lord, when I feel bruised by life’s battles, help me to remember that I am not broken. Give me strength to rise again and continue the work You’ve called me to do, with courage and hope. For Your dear name’s sake. Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 220: 2 Kings 22–25 — Josiah’s Reform and Judah’s Fall
DAILY word study STONED The word stoned comes from the Greek "lithazo"(λιθάζω), which means to throw stones at with the intent to harm or kill. In biblical times, stoning was a public act of judgment or rejection.
Paul was stoned in Lystra not for doing wrong, but for doing right. He had just preached the gospel and healed a man. The same crowd that praised him quickly turned violent. Yet after the stoning, Paul didn’t quit. He got up and went back into the city. His response reveals how deeply conviction can overcome cruelty.
Reflect on this:
Have you ever felt attacked for standing up for what’s right? The stones may be verbal, emotional, or spiritual. But take heart—God gives strength to rise after the blow.
Comments