Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt
God never hints that we’ll escape difficulties if we’re smart enough, good enough, or lucky enough. Rather He promises and proves throughout the bible that when tough times inevitably come, he will fight with us. And when the dust settles, regardless of the outcome, we can still stand.
Paul learned that lesson while recounting his time in prison under false charges and unjust accusations. Writing from jail to a young man named Timothy he describes what happened at his trial. His first words are heartbreaking:
“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.” (I knew exactly how he felt) may it not be charged against them.” (II Timothy 4:16).
When you feel like you are in the battle alone be sure you are not. You may be battling tough times in your office, school, home, or even church. I encourage you to take heart. Perhaps you languish in a hospital room, crippled by a debilitating disease. Jesus whispers to you: “Take heart.” Listen to the Paul’s next words:
“But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth” (II Timothy 4:17 )
Paul was still standing even in the face of a coming death because God was standing with him. Key takeaway: When the going gets tough, God gets going!
The greatest example of that is and always will be the empty tomb. Death gave Jesus it’s best shot—and three days later He was and is still standing!
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