Acts 18:7-13: in context

Paul is in Corinth, a difficult city, facing opposition, and perhaps tempted to grow afraid or discouraged and to fall silent. But the Lord comes to him in a vision by night with a word of encouragement: do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city. Strengthened by this word, Paul stays in Corinth a year and a half, teaching the word of God. God met his servant's fear with the assurance of his presence and the promise of fruit yet to come.

God's word to Paul is a word of encouragement to a servant who might have been afraid or discouraged. Corinth was hard; opposition was real; Paul, though bold, was human, and could be tempted to fear and to fall silent. And God does not rebuke him for fear or leave him to struggle alone; he encourages him: do not be afraid, keep speaking, do not be silent. And he gives two grounds for courage: I am with you, the assurance of his presence; and I have many people in this city, the promise of fruit yet to come, people who would yet believe. On these two, God's presence and the promise of fruit, Paul was strengthened to keep on. This is an encouragement God still gives his weary and fearful servants. There are times when the work is hard, opposition real, and we are tempted to grow afraid or discouraged and to fall silent, to give up. And God's word to Paul speaks to us: do not be afraid; keep on; I am with you. The first ground of courage is God's presence: I am with you. We do not labor alone; God is with us, and his presence is our strength against fear. Fear not, God says elsewhere, for I am with you. And the second ground is the promise of fruit: I have many people in this city. There was fruit yet to come that Paul could not see, people who would yet believe; and the assurance of fruit ahead strengthened him to keep on. This steadies us when we are tempted to grow discouraged and give up. When the work is hard and we are afraid, we may hear God's word to Paul as a word to us: do not be afraid; keep on; I am with you. His presence is with us in the labor, and there may be fruit yet to come that we cannot see, reasons to keep on that are hidden from us. We are not laboring alone or in vain. This calls us to persevere in fear and discouragement, resting on God's presence and the promise of fruit. God encouraged Paul in difficult Corinth: do not be afraid, keep speaking, for I am with you and I have many people in this city. And when we are tempted to grow afraid or discouraged and to give up, we may rest on the same: God is with us, and there may be fruit yet to come that we cannot see, so that we keep on, strengthened by his presence and the assurance that our labor is not in vain, as Paul kept on in Corinth for a year and a half at the word of the Lord who was with him.

When the work God has given me is hard and I am tempted to grow afraid or discouraged and to fall silent or give up, can God's word to Paul in difficult Corinth, do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and I have many people in this city, strengthen me to persevere, resting on the assurance of God's presence with me in the labor and on the promise that there may be fruit yet to come that I cannot see, so that I keep on rather than giving up?