[222 words]
“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lions mouth” (2 Tim. 4:17).
We sing the song: “…though none go with me, I still will follow.” But would we? I’ve been battling a particularly persistent nest of wasps that dig a new entrance from the roots of a forsythia bush every time I destroy a tunnel and kill a number of them. I can’t help but think that is what Satan does with the church. Wave after wave of trouble and suffering descends upon us: faithful Christians are no longer, the yeast of sin and selfishness works its way through the dough, or God’s love is questioned when a loved one leaves or is sick or dying. And, when our tunnel is destroyed, do we dig a new entrance? To encourage Timothy, Paul recounts how ones have deserted or opposed him, but that doesn’t seem to be his focus. Rather, he says that despite many struggles, the Lord stood at his side and gave him strength so that he could proclaim the gospel. It is only as an afterthought that he remarks on his own deliverance.
Are you focused on His strength or your safety?
Doug Kashorek
Plattsburgh Church of Christ
Plattsburgh, NY