Return and Encouragement - Pt. 5: Commended to the Grace of God

Baptist Daily Devotional
Aug 13
2 min read

Rev Tetteh-Annor Larbi | August 13 2025 | Acts 14:21-28

KEY VERSE: “From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.” Acts 14:26 (NIV)

MESSAGE:

At the end of their missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch—the very place where they had first been sent out. It was there they had been “commended to the grace of God” for the work they were now completing. This phrase speaks volumes. Their success, endurance, and fruitfulness weren’t rooted in skill or strategy, but in God’s grace. It was grace that carried them through every city, every danger, every moment of opposition. And it is grace that brings every good work to completion.

Being commended to God’s grace is a powerful reminder that ministry—whether public or private—is never about self-reliance. Grace doesn’t just save us; it sustains and sends us. It empowers us to walk through doors we couldn’t open ourselves, endure trials we never imagined, and return with stories of God’s faithfulness. Paul and Barnabas could testify, not to their own greatness, but to the sufficiency of God’s grace at every step.

FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:

In your journey of faith and service, remember that the strength to begin and the power to finish come from the same source: God’s grace. You may not feel qualified, strong, or prepared—but if you’ve been commended to the grace of God, you have all you need. Walk in that confidence. Depend on that grace. And when the work is done, return and give Him the glory and praise.

PRAYER:

Lord, thank You for Your grace that sends, sustains, and secures. Help me to rely on You in every task and trust You to finish what You start through me. For Your dear name’s sake. Amen.

THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 225: 1 Chronicles 18–21 — David’s Battles and Sinful Census

DAILY word study: COMMITTED TO The phrase committed to in Acts 14:26 comes from the Greek word paradidōmi, meaning “to hand over,” “to entrust,” or “to place into the care of another.”

When Paul and Barnabas were “committed to the grace of God,” the believers in Antioch were deliberately placing them into God’s hands for the mission ahead. This wasn’t a casual farewell — it was an act of faith, trusting God to guide, protect, and empower them for the work. For us today, being “committed to” God means living under His care and direction, confident that the One we’ve entrusted ourselves to will see the task through to completion.

Reflect on This: What would it look like for you to be fully committed to God in your current assignment or season?