Barnabas is one of my favorite characters in the Bible.  He’s one of the people in the Bible that is so very important, but we really don’t know a lot about him. But here’s the truth, without Barnabas we wouldn’t have most of the New Testament.  Listen to what we hear today in Acts 15: 36-39:

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. 39 The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

Earlier on in Acts when the Apostles weren’t too keen on bringing in Paul after all the damage he had done to the church, it was Barnabas that walked beside him, that went to the church and said, “You can trust him; God has saved him.”

Barnabas believed in Paul.

Now, we see here another case where Barnabas continued to believe.  Mark had messed up.  We don’t know the full extent of what had happened, but as some point along the way, he failed.  And Paul was driven.  Paul really put that mission first.  And when Mark messed up, he was ready to move on.

But not Barnabas.  He kept believing in what Mark could do.  Just like with Paul, Barnabas saw the potential in this person being used by God.  Barnabas believed in Mark, encouraged him, took him under his wing.

And God did a great thing.  Mark wrote the first Gospel and Paul wrote thirteen letters within the New Testament.  Barnabas believed in both of these two men, and God used that belief.  God was able to do great things through them.  And in many ways, this work started with Barnabas’ belief.

Today in your life, there may be someone that needs you to believe in them.  Others have given up on them.  But today, you can be that Barnabas for them.  You can believe.  You can hope.  You can be that for them.

Today, don’t stop believing in others.  Today, you can be a Barnabas for someone.  Through your encouragement, your faith, your hope, God may be able to raise up someone to great things.

Today, believe in someone.  And just see what God may do through it!

If you’d like to be added to my devotional list, click here to sign up.  You also can read these thoughts on St. Matthew’s new mobile app.  Click here to download!