“While there, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he traveled down to Greece,”
Acts 20:2 (NLT)
After the riot settled in Ephesus, Paul gathered the believers, encouraged them, said goodbye, and left for Macedonia. But Acts 20:2 says that along the way, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Paul was known in the big cities. His preaching was stirring enough opposition that businessmen were starting riots to silence him. Yet he still had time for unnamed towns along the road.
That stood out to me because we often know Paul through his letters that are full of correction, instruction, rebuke, and command. It can make him seem like a man who only showed up to set the church straight. But here we see something tender. Paul slowed down to encourage believers, not just in the big places, but in the small places. Not just in public ministry moments, but in the private ones.
The first apostles loved the little places. They did not just pass by believers there, they passed through them. They saw all believers as family, blood-bought members of the same body in Christ. I think believers in little churches and rural places can sometimes feel forgotten, ignored, or unimportant. But wherever the Word of God is taught, Holy Spirit is there. The Comforter, Helper, Advocate, and Encourager of God has not forgotten any of us.
Today, if there are believers we keep passing by, maybe it is time to slow down and pass through. Build relationship. Offer prayer. Spend time together. Be an encouragement. None of us are more important than Paul, yet he had time to do it. And as we yield to Holy Spirit, God can pass through us, our churches, our homes, and our families, bringing encouragement and new life through Him.