Hearing the Heartbeat of Paul

Early each morning, I breathe in the whisper of the Holy Spirit on the sacred pages of scripture. During these quiet but significant moments, I am introduced to men and women who have become more real to me than my visible surroundings. As I ponder these heroes and heroines of the faith, I can’t help but choose favorites. Can you? Just as a dearly loved friend enters my heart and becomes a kindred spirit, so do these warriors of the faith whom I can’t wait to meet some glorious day!

My favorite Old Testament character is certainly Joseph – the young man who was his daddy’s favorite, was given a brilliant coat, was hated by his brothers, sold into slavery and was the first recorded victim of sexual harassment in history. But the Bible tells us that the Lord was with him as he carved a life of faithfulness, wisdom and generosity. What’s not to love about Joseph?!

And then, as I begin my journey on the pages of the New Testament, my heart is drawn repeatedly to the genius and influence of Paul. 

Saul, later known as Paul, was a Roman Jew by birth; he hunted down Christians for the purpose of murdering them violently. With ferocious, animal-like devastation, Saul launched a campaign to obliterate the name of Jesus from the ancient world.

But one day, on the road to Damascus, Saul was arrested by the voice of Jesus Christ. He fell in surrender and opened his blinded eyes to the light of his Savior. Saul became Paul and he became a zealot for the cause of Christ. From the moment he was saved, he began preaching about the life-changing power of Jesus. Paul traveled the ancient world, planting churches wherever he went.

Paul wrote at least 13 books of the New Testament, many of them from prison. His influence on the church resounds still today as we read the words that Paul wrote on parchment nearly 2,000 years ago.

Paul spent nearly 6 years in prison for preaching the gospel, for casting out demons, and for praying for people to be healed in Jesus’ Name.  Many of the epistles that he wrote to the early churches were written from the dim light of a prison cell. One such letter was written to the church at Philippi.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4

What utterly strange advice written by a man in prison! We learn from Paul that our inner attitudes are not determined by our outward circumstances. There will always be events and people that will cause discouragement, lack of productivity and emotional devastation. However, according to Paul and the Holy Spirit, there should not be any circumstance that results in losing one’s joy.

This is only possible “in the Lord;” our joy is not derived from our circumstances, but from the One whom we worship. 

• While the world condemns and panics, we were made to sing.

• When the enemy destroys and plunders, we rejoice loudly.

• When others vilify and accuse, we lift our hands in the air.

• When our world has imploded, we must take Paul’s advice and rejoice defiantly in the Lord.

Paul reminds every generation of Christianity that joy is a brave act of obedience to the One who has fashioned us for His indescribable joy.

Would you like to walk in the footsteps of Paul? Would you like to visit the sites of the early churches, the places from which Paul wrote the epistles, and stand on the steps where Paul preached his fiery sermons? Would you like the story of the New Testament to take on new meaning in your life?

Carol Kent and I would love to invite you to join us for a trip to Greece in September of 2025. It will be the trip of a lifetime as we study scripture together and hear the voice of Paul ricochet through the centuries. We would love to have you join us in this grand adventure of walking in The Footsteps of Paul.

Question:  When have you experienced joy in the middle of a very challenging experience? I look forward to reading your comments.

About Carol McLeod:

Carol is a best-selling author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers people  with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She is a prolific author and loves digging for treasure in the Word of God. Her 16th book, Timeless: The Living and Enduring Word of God, released June 2023, dives into the book of 1 Peter. Carol encourages us to find the timeless truths in God’s Word. To connect with Carol on social media, go to CarolMcleodMinistries.com.

Join Carol Kent and Carol McLeod in September 2025 for The Footsteps of Paul tour, with an optional extension to Israel.

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Join Gene & Carol Kent and Carol McLeod on September 8-16, 2025 for The Footsteps of Paul tour, with an optional extension to Israel on September 16-20, 2025.