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we do we miss another very important reason why his fellow-believers called him “ Son of Encourage ment.” Joseph lived at a time when one found it impossible to keep up with God. Although there was persecution, the growth of the church was exciting to watch. Where would the Lord move next? At the height of the persecution of the church in Jerusalem, believers fled as refugees to the predominantly Gen tile city of Antioch. There they preached the Lord Jesus to the Greeks and “ a great number believed and were saved.” When the church leaders in Jeru salem heard this news, they felt it necessary to in vestigate and see if it were true. For this assignment they chose the “ Son of Encouragement.” Arriving in Antioch, Joseph discovered the grace of God at work and rejoiced in the large company being added to the Lord. He further sensed that the new believers needed to be built up in the Lord. Joseph knew that young Saul could have an impor tant teaching ministry. Not sparing himself, Joseph traveled all the way to Tarsus to find his friend and bring him back to use his gifts of preaching and teaching in Antioch. That simple, unselfish act brought strong encouragement both to the zealous Saul who longed to be used more fully of God and to the young believers of Antioch who hungered for the teaching that would make them strong in Christ. The “ Son of Encouragement” had again lived up to his nickname. Now the study of Joseph with his contagious abili ty to bring encouragement wherever he went could be discouraging to us if we allow it. It takes little depth of recall to bring to mind the times we have been pessimistic, gloomy, ill-tempered, critical and anything but encouraging to our fellow-believers. On the other hand, the look we have taken into Joseph’s life should make him a “ Son of Encourage ment” to us. You see we are really looking at some thing far beyond the pleasant personality of a peace ful man. We are watching one of the gifts of the Spirit in operation in the life of a surrendered Chris tian. The Holy Spirit was pleased to give Joseph the “ gift of helps” (I Cor. 12:28). Joseph had two courses he could take after re ceiving that gift. He could have complained because the Holy Spirit had not given him the gift of an “ evan gelist” and by his complaining he would have “ quenched the Spirit.” Too many of us are guilty of “ quenching the Spirit’ in this manner. Or Joseph could thank the Holy Spirit for the gift of “ helps” and grasp every opportunity to use his priceless "g ift.” This is exactly what he did. He missed no chance to help every believer in every possible way. By using God’s gift, Joseph earned his nickname— “ Son of Encouragement.” And because we know that what God did in Joseph He can do in us, Joseph becomes to us as well as to the early Christians a “ Son of Encouragement.” NOVEMBER, 1970
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