Acts 28:11-16 (15)
15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
Ragnar Arlander and some friends decided to climb Mt. Rainier. This beautiful snow caped stratovocanic mountain of 14,410 feet can be seen rising above the Washington horizon 59 miles south of Seattle.
In their climb they finally reached a plateau. The tired alpinists decided they had gone far enough. They wanted to just enjoy the beautiful view. Arlander, however, kept climbing. One had gone ahead and Arlander wanted to join him.
After some time he caught up with his friend who had stopped to rest. The scenery here was even more breathtaking than what they had observed at the plateau. His friend was ready to turn back, but when he saw Arlander approaching, he jumped up and said, “Since you’ve come, let’s go higher!” They continued to climb and enjoyed even greater sights than before.
Today, many are bowed down under the crushing loads of anxiety, sorrow, troubles and responsibilities. Sad, lonely and hurting they feel that they cannot go on any longer. They may fear the dangers of the spiritual journey. This is when the ministry of encouragement is desperately needed. They need to hear the cheery voice of victorious Christians minister the grace of God to them saying, “Come on, let’s go on up higher.”
by Dr. Gayle Woods