Passage of the Day:
On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted, Acts 20:7-12.
Reflection:
I was introduced to this passage at a Youth Ministry Conference 30 years ago. On the surface, Luke recalls a teenager who fell asleep at a church lock in. However, the speaker was vivid about the conditions of an attic in the middle of summer. Eutychus actually went to sit by the window to get some air, likely soaked in sweat. As Paul went on and on, rambling on all night long, Eutychus simply couldn’t fight off the urge to sleep. Subsequently, Eutychus fell asleep, exited this building through a window and died. The call to action at this conference was to reach teenagers who are spiritually asleep before they leave church for good.
Prayer Action:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up, Galatians 6:9.
Developing the Spiritual Guts to Press On:
We all get discouraged at some point of time in life. Whether this is due to a lack of productivity, results or a sense of purpose, you give up. This could be a job, relationship or something you always wanted to do. Paul urges Christians in Galatia to hold on as you seek to do good. Progress takes time to see the fruits of your labor of love. If you don’t stick it out through the trials you’re currently facing, you’ll miss out at the life lesson God is trying to teach you, James 1:2-4. As you mature spiritually, God will fill you with the fortitude to assist those who are on the verge of falling asleep spiritually.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Letter of Love is a pray for people who share a different worldwide view. As this devotion transitions from fortitude to hope tomorrow, may the words of the Bible speak to your heart and encourage your soul.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 