The whole counsel of God.

Acts 20:22-27, And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Paul has this clear perception given by the Holy Spirit of what lies ahead, that somehow his ministry will shift from what it has been to something difficult to contemplate: imprisonment and afflictions. Elsewhere he writes of the surpassing glory that await after these mild afflictions which for him included beatings, being stoned and left for dead and humiliation by people of his own heritage. He saw his ministry as from the Lord, in declaring the whole counsel of God, and he shrinks not from what lies ahead. Are we able to join Paul in declaring the whole counsel of God to others today, to proclaim the amazing power of the gospel of the grace of Almighty God? Are we willing to have this kind of clarity about how the Lord uses us?

Lead and guide us that we shrink not from the ministry that you have given us in declaring your amazing gospel of grace, O Lord!

ESV Lectionary