“Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep.
In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by my own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” 2 Corinthians 11:24-27
That passage was written by Apostle Paul, as you probably remember Paul had been Saul and it was his personal mission to destroy anyone who worshipped and believed in Jesus.
Jesus came to him on his last mission in which he had written permission to bring anyone male or female back by any means necessary to Jerusalem to be punished.
Jesus changed his plans and his name. As rotten as he had been, once Jesus was revealed to him, he accepted the truth and Jesus had said that he was a chosen vessel for him and that he would suffer many things for his name.
This had started with him being blinded for three days when Jesus had appeared to him, he also fasted during those three days until God sent Annais to pray for him and he received his sight and began his ministry for Jesus.
To say he suffered a thing or two would be quite an understatement. He had written the passage above when others were hassling him, there is always someone used by the devil or their own flesh that want to tear us down and accuse us of thinking we know everything.
There is so much more of his testimony in that chapter, please read it if you get a moment.
I just gave you the highlight, but just stripes alone, at his writing, totaled one-hundred and ninety-five, having occurred over five different beatings.
The Jews of the day had a law that they seriously considered merciful, I will use that word extremely lightly, but they would sentence a person to being whipped forty lashes and would only hit them thirty-nine times.
A real show of mercy there…
He tells us about being beaten with rods on three different occasions. Being shipwrecked also on three different occasions, being stoned, and being lost at sea, literally in the sea a night and day.
He goes on to expound on all possible human sufferings, but he experienced them all and he wrote the majority of the New Testament while imprisoned.
I can’t wait to meet him, his ministry ended with his beheading and the words God gave us through him and the testimony of his life is a blessing to us all.
But what I want us to check out is the watchings, he mentions his experience with this in other passages also.
Watching is also referred to as night watches.
It is those times in life when no matter how tired or exhausted we either must or feel we must remain awake.
Sometimes it due to needing to stay awake because of a danger or situation or caring for a sick loved one.
Other times it may be our minds simply being tormented by thoughts, worries, or reliving past regrets or sorrows, fears of the future or even physical causes.
I wanted to look at some scriptures and promises of God that are really helpful to pray and meditate on when experiencing these times and there are many for different circumstances.
- “When I remember thee upon my bed and mediate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” Psalms 63:6,7 *
- “Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still. Selah” Psalms 4:4*
- ” I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou LORD. only maketh me dwell in safety.” Psalms 4:8″
- “Upon this I awaked, and my sleep was sweet unto me.” Jeremiah 31:26*
- “It is vain (useless) to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.” Psalms 127:2*
- “Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” 1 Thessalonians 5:10 *
- “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about (surround me) with songs of deliverance. Selah. ” Psalms 32:7 *
Think about that, the Lord surrounding us with song! No thought more beautiful.
My late sister had perfected this in her life, she had been through many, many terrible things and had suffered a lot of heartache, she loved Jesus and his anointing on her life was there for all to see.
She finally shared with me her coping secret, she literally prayed herself to sleep each night. She said that she would just talk to the Lord and pray for different people until she fell asleep. She would tell me how God would put things in heart while she prayed.
We should all give it a try.
I truly pray that these verses will be an encouragement to you, Thanks for reading! Love & Peace till next time!
NBJ 2024/ Rev. N Brown Johnson
Sword & Lily 