By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
WEDNESDAY
THEME: GOD STANDS BY YOU IN DICEY CIRCUMSTANCES
SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 4:17-18
“[17]But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. [18]And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”
REFLECTIONS
When confronted with severe challenges without human backing and support, you can trust the Lord to stand by you and deliver you. God’s power is manifested, seen, and known in situations and circumstances beyond our ability to handle. He is known to be the God of possibilities because when human strength and hope are dashed, He brings renewed strength and hope. In the darkest moments of life, the light of God can be seen and felt (Psalm 112:4). When we are hedged in; the Lord opens an outlet for us to move forward – He makes a way where there is no way because He is God.
The apostles were privileged to live and walk with the Lord Jesus. That is why nobody can dispute their testimony (1 John 1:1-3). We do not have the privilege of seeing Him face to face as they did, but we are more than privileged because He promised us His presence and the presence of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:20; John 14:23, 26). We follow the line of Paul, who did not walk physically with Him, but when Jesus revealed Himself to the apostle, he surrendered everything to Him. When Paul gave his life to Jesus, he fell in love with Him and probably got closer to Him more strongly than some of the apostles Jesus called. Because of the intimate relationship based on his show of child-like faith in Him, the presence of God remained with Paul. God called him for a task; though seemingly impossible, the Lord Jesus made every provision available to carry out the work.
Paul had real challenges in pursuing his calling, but He always had His Lord’s assurance and full presence. In 2 Timothy 4:17-18, Paul narrates the power and the backing he received from the Lord when the enemy tried to mess up his life and work. He announced: “[17]But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. [18]And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” Note the sequence here. During the challenging time, the Lord stood by Him and strengthened him. The presence of Jesus alone is already a victory for the struggler. For the discouraged, the thought of and the presence of Jesus is a game changer, victory in the making. Paul emphasized this critical point: “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.” Jesus will do this for you – He is doing it behind the scenes.
Paul also narrates that God delivered him from the mouth of a lion. Whether a beast lion, a human lion, or a problem lion, Jesus was present to protect, save, and deliver the apostle. Today, in your circumstances, if you give first place to the Lord Jesus, He will be with you, strengthen you, and deliver you from the “lions” who threaten your peace, security, and progress. What worked for Paul is simply what Jesus offers to us as well in John 15:4-5, “[4]Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. [5]“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Why do you find it difficult to abide in Jesus? Yet your solutions, safety, joy, peace, victory, and future are promised and premised on this statement. When you cannot proceed with your work and encumbrances engulf you, Jesus will surely stand by you and strengthen you to enable you to go forward. The halting, pausing, and waiting may be for a short time, but the Lord will spur you on to accomplishment and outstanding achievement. You are only a step away from seeing the glorious acts of God in full view.
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 535 – “I am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus” – Rendered by the Metropolitan Tabernacle Choir
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank the Lord Jesus for His abiding presence; thank God for delivering you from harsh situations; pray to abide in Him for your daily victory and to support others;
– Pray for young people who have put in applications for jobs; pray for families that are struggling due to the loss of employment; pray for people waiting for their promotion, re-assignment, or redeployment;
– Pray for families that face severe struggles in their lives; pray for people who feel lonely and hedged in and those who face mountains of challenges and devouring “lions”;
– Pray that Christians will trust Jesus enough, stay calm in waiting for Him, claim the promise of His abiding presence and deliverance, and eschew complaining; pray for the nation’s peace.
