The Lord Will Stand With You

Daily Devotional – Monday, July 24, 2023
But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…
2 Timothy 4:17 (NKJV)

In the second epistle to Timothy, Paul stated, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me.” (2 Timothy 4:16). The apostle pointed out Demas and Alexander the coppersmith as having abandoned him and done him harm respectively, but it appears even his lieutenants were nowhere to in sight.

God Stood at My Side

Thankfully, Paul did not end his narration at that point. He continued, “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me…” (2 Timothy 4:17). Hallelujah! Everybody else abandoned Paul but his God stood by Him. What a powerful testimony to the faithfulness and reliability of God!

Paul must have been in the presence of secular authorities and a crowd of unbelievers for he adds, “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.” (2 Timothy 4:17).

You are Not Alone

Paul’s fellow believers may have deserted him for fear of the vicious persecution meted on Christians in the First Century. God, though, stood by Paul and gave him the courage to proclaim the gospel among the gentiles. With God at His side, Paul did not fear anything or anybody.

You, too, will experience loneliness and abandonment when you decide to face challenges that others fear. There will be moments when even your fellow believers will fail to defend the faith and choose to compromise. The gospel you preach may alienate you from friends and family but the God who did not abandon Paul will stand by you.

God is Faithful

Similarly, you may find yourself walking alone on the narrow path of righteousness while the rest of the world is rejoicing on the highway of sin. Your fidelity to God will elicit rejection from the world and many professed Christians. Trudge on for the God of Paul will remain by your side.

When trials assail you and no one seems to care, do not despair. If people forsake you because you are unwell, jobless, poor, homeless and so on, worry not. When the world rejects you because of your former sinful life (even after you accept Jesus), take heart because you are not alone.

The Lord Will Stand With You

What a joy to know that in your moments of rejection and loneliness, the Lord will stand with you! If you are in the midst of a tough trial or you feel misunderstood and forsaken, remember you are not alone. God, the One Who matters most in your life, is right there with you.

Prayer
Thank You, God, because You will stand with me when everyone else abandons me.