Sustenance #4 — Sustained Rescue

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 4:18

At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul knew that he could trust Jesus to keep him going, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When friends deserted him, when the government bullied him, when opponents contradicted him, he was confident that as long as he had fruitful ministry ahead of him, the Lord would exert himself on his behalf, so Paul could do his work. As long as Paul was consistently following the Lord’s direction for him, he could count on the Lord’s intervention. So can we. More importantly, we can have the same confidence Paul experienced concerning his ability to be true to Jesus. Every obstacle or disappointment we encounter tries to tell us that Jesus won’t care for those who have put their lives in his hands, that he won’t strengthen our resolve to trust him forever. But every difficulty surmounted renews our confidence in the One who “turns the king’s heart in his hands.” When he removes everything that hinders us from accomplishing the mission he’s given us, we understand how committed he is to accomplishing his own mission: not to lose any of those whom the Father gave him.

How thankful I am, O God, that neither life, nor death, can separate me from your love that is displayed in Christ Jesus, especially as he works for me every day. Amen.