“At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” -{2 Timothy 4:16-18}.
He was abandoned. All alone it would seem, but Paul testifies he was not alone for he was conscious “The LORD Stood with me!” Humanly abandoned, forsaken, NO one to support him, but not by the LORD. No matter who abandons, deserts or fails to support you, be it temporarily or forever , you can count on it He will not who has promised”I WILL NEVER LEAVE OR FORSAKE YOU!”-{Heb 13;5}. And note Paul’s response to Him in regards those who had forsaken and left him, “may it not be counted it against them” like his LORD on the cross and Stephen who was full of the Holy Spirit while been stoned- his was a heart of forgiveness!
The LORD stood with him to specifically STRENGTHEN him to what end? “SO THAT through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear;…” The Gospel may go forth to Paul and God’s enemies! He was STRENGTHENED TO SHARE THE GOOD, THE GOD NEWS!
Paul in the midst of his own suffering; The suffering of rejection, the suffering of incarceration, was Strengthened by God not to escape his circumstances but to stand in his circumstances and DECLARE THE GOSPEL- TO THOSE IN SPIRITUAL CHAINS, PRISONERS OF THE EVIL ONE! They thought he was the prisoner and they were free! Not so, they were spiritual slaves and before them stood a man eternally set free, representing the Bondage breaker with the Loving Message from Him for them to set them free!
God will place a man, woman, boy or girl who is His to share with those who need to Hear of Him, Such is the Love of Christ for them!
In Philippians 1;12 he said, “ Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. “- {Phil 1:12-14}. His chains did not deter him from sharing, but were his platform to share the Gospel and see it advance in two ways, namely, To EVANGELIZE and to ENCOURAGE God’s people to speak forth the Gospel!
Sometimes you find yourself in circumstances you would not choose but in those as Paul said “I am APPOINTED for the defense of The Gospel”-{Phil 1:16}. The word “appointed” was a military word that means “set” and was used of a soldier strategically placed for a purpose. Paul did not see himself as a victim of circumstances but God using his circumstances strategically placed to further His Gospel!
Our circumstances are Opportunities to advance THE Gospel, either by evangelizing the lose or by coming alongside to strengthen HIS PEOPLE to share the what? “WORD OF GOD WITHOUT FEAR.” Sometimes God places you strategically in a place to encourage, put courage in His people who also are suffering to use their circumstances to further His Gospel cause. Such is His love for the lost prison guards who were spiritually imprisioned in bondage and those of HIS OWN who were suffering but to turn their circumstances into opportunities to speak the WORD OF GOD!
STRENGTHENED TO SHARE IN HIS SUFFERINGS TO THOSE WHO WERE IN SPIRITUAL NEED!
Your Suffering committed to Him can be of eternal benefit to other souls.
You will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER STAND OR WALK ALONE, THOUGH all others abandon you. The LORD stands with you. THE LORD will Strengthen you, to SHARE.
Paul’s Testimony could be THE LORD STOOD WITH ME AND STRENGTHENED ME TO SHARE IN MY SUFFERINGS FOR HIS BENEFIT AND THAT OF OTHERS!
The LORD stood with him, strengthening him in the midst of his enemies, who thought they held his life in their hands but in reality Paul’s LORD controlled their very next breath in His! His long-suffering in action, not wishing that any should perish but all should come to repentance. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God, for when He opens those hands people fall into a Christless eternity. But we see His love for His enemies, who violently in their hearts oppose Him and His rightful authority in their lives. Rebels against God, just like Paul at one satge ahd been until the LORD confronted him on the roas to Demascus and Paul said ,”Who are You LORD? He knew He was dealing with God, the MASTER and Jesus responded that it was He whom Paul had persecuted. For when he touched His people he touched Him! So intimately involved with His own. He takes it personally. So SAUL the raging enemy of Christ and Christians became Paul the servant of Him whom he once opposed,such is the power of the Love of Christ that Paul would later testify,”I live by faith in the Son of God who Loved me and Gave Himself up for me.”-{Gal 2;20} Constrained by the Love of Christ to trust and Testify of Him!
We too were rebels but through repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus have been saved from the wrath of God, the penalty of sin and bondage to satan and are free to love Him, live with and for Him and be HIS Ambassadors Him in the place of His choosing in the Harvest field. And for Paul part of that co laboring was with Him in a prison and then before the enemies of God, not with a heart of vengeance, bitterness but a heart seeking HIS GLORY and their spiritual well being that they too may gladly bow the knee of surrender to Him and worshipfully serve Him who made them and dies to redeem them! Such is the power of the Love of Christ!
So you too will be STRENGTHENED to share the Gospel amidst at times a hostile environment where you too have suffered for your allegiance to Jesus Christ!
Did you know there is a promise, you probably can’t buy a picture or a wooden carved or painted sign of it in a Christian book store, it says, “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. “ -{2 Timothy 3:12 NLT}. So because you have a new heart, a new desire to honor the LORD and live Godly in your thinking and daily living comes the promise of Suffering persecution, harassment! You don’t need to “claim” that promise, The fact you have a desire to live following Him, as He sees fit you will experience it!
BE ASSURED... you will not stand alone for THE LORD will STAND WITH YOU, to STRENGTHEN YOU TO SHARE!
Paul goes on to say the LORD will RESCUE him and ends with the Goal and desire of his heart, “… TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER, AMEN! {2 Tim 4:18}.
You Never STAND ALONE. YOU may look around and see no other human but Know You are Not Standing alone. For The Resurrected LORD stands with you and for you and to empower you,…
Strengthening you to Share the gospel.
Your Motivation? “To Him be the Glory!” His Honor your highest desire amidst your trials, suffering, His strengthening you to share and delivering you.
The LORD in Acts 9:15-16 said “…Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name’s sake.”
Paul from the start was chosen, picked out with a specific purpose, to Suffer and SHARE before Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel. And God kept His promise!
And Paul’s response was not “Why Me? ” But confidence and assurance in Him to keep His Word and to HIM be the Glory forever and ever. Amen
“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” -{2 Tim 4:18}
Such is the Perspective God gave Paul in his Sufferings. Confidence To KNOW he did not STAND alone but the LORD STOOD with him.
STRENGTHENED him to STAND and SHARE.
STRENGTHENING him to SEE his future was assured and bright.
STRENGTHENING him to Give GLORY to the LORD who SAVED him;
The LORD was his focus and Testimony who STOOD with him, STRENGTHENED him, and would RESCUE him and bring him into HIS presence. Perspective in Pain from a man who knew Pain!
Be encouraged as He was to Paul, so He is available to you. He stands with you. He strengthens you to share. He will rescue bringing you SAFELY Home to be with Him. To Him… be the glory forever and ever. Amen!