Time Out! Devotions

2 Timothy 4:6-18 (NCV)

⁶ My life is being given as an offering to God, and the time has come for me to leave this life.⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now, a crown is being held for me—a crown for being right with God. The Lord, the judge who judges rightly, will give the crown to me on that day—not only to me but to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.

⁹ Do your best to come to me as soon as you can,¹⁰ because Demas, who loved this world, left me and went to Thessalonica. Crescens went to Galatia, and Titus went to Dalmatia.¹¹ Luke is the only one still with me. Get Mark and bring him with you when you come, because he can help me in my work here.¹² I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. ¹³ When I was in Troas, I left my coat there with Carpus. So when you come, bring it to me, along with my books, particularly the ones written on parchment.

¹⁴ Alexander the metalworker did many harmful things against me. The Lord will punish him for what he did. ¹⁵ You also should be careful that he does not hurt you, because he fought strongly against our teaching.

¹⁶ The first time I defended myself, no one helped me; everyone left me. May they be forgiven.¹⁷ But the Lord stayed with me and gave me strength so I could fully tell the Good News to all those who are not Jews. So I was saved from the lion’s mouth.¹⁸ The Lord will save me when anyone tries to hurt me, and he will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Glory forever and ever be the Lord’s. Amen.

Today’s passage captures a painful time in the life of Paul the apostle. As he sat in a prison cell, he knew that death was imminent. He had devoted the last years to teaching, training, and winning souls for Christ, but he now stood alone, unsupported during his trial and time in jail. Loneliness must have felt overwhelming.

Paul felt abandoned, yet he didn’t blame anyone or pity himself. Instead, he met the suffering with courage. What motivated him to stand with strength during this trying time?

For the apostle, an awareness of Christ’s presence gave comfort and motivated him to persevere. Having a copy of Scripture in his cell no doubt encouraged him in this way (2 Timothy 4:13). And he not only knew God was right there with him in the current moment; he also recalled earlier times when the Lord had intervened. For instance, years before, Paul had had a vision telling him not to fear during a storm on the sea. And though the ship ran aground, all of the men survived (Acts 27:22-24).

For those of us who know Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, strength is readily available in His intimate presence. Our heavenly Father promises that He will never abandon His children—even when everyone else has left.

Have your circumstances left you feeling lonely? Remember times when God was evident to you—when He clearly revealed His hand in your life. And read His Word so that the truth of His presence can comfort and encourage you. As a believer, you are truly never alone.

(devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley from the June 2010

issue of In Touch magazine)

“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

“For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.”
Deuteronomy 4:31

“Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, ‘Destroy!’”
Deuteronomy 33:27

“For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself.”
1 Samuel 12:22

“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me up.”
Psalms 27:10

“GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Psalms 46:1

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalms 147:3

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10

“‘For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My loving kindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ Says the LORD who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10

“Teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20

“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”
John 14:1

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:18

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Just as it is written, FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:35-39

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU.”
Hebrews 13:5

James 1:12-16 (NCV)

¹² When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy. After they have proved their faith, God will reward them with life forever. God promised this to all those who love him.^{13 14} But people are tempted when their own evil desire leads them away and traps them.¹⁵ This desire leads to sin, and then the sin grows and brings death. When people are tempted, they should not say, “God is tempting me.” Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁶ My dear brothers and sisters, do not be fooled about this.

Temptation comes from evil desire within, not from God. It begins with an evil thought. It becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action. Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin’s destruction grows the more we let sin have its way. The best time to stop a snowball is before it is too big or moving too fast to control. (See Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; and 2 Timothy 2:22 for more about escaping temptation.)

It’s easy to blame others and make excuses for evil thoughts and wrong actions. Excuses include (1) it’s the other person’s fault; (2) I couldn’t help it; (3) everybody’s doing it; (4) it was just a mistake; (5) nobody’s perfect; (6) the devil made me do it; (7) I was pressured into it; (8) I didn’t know it was wrong. A person who makes excuses is trying to shift the blame from himself to something or someone else. A Christian, on the other hand, accepts responsibility for his wrongs, confesses them, and asks God for forgiveness.

People who live for God often wonder why they still have temptations. Does God tempt them? God tests people, but He does not tempt them by trying to seduce them into sin. He allows Satan to tempt them, however, in order to refine their faith and to grow in their dependence upon Christ. We can endure the temptation to sin by turning to God for strength and choosing to act in obedience to His Word.

“Then he said to them, ‘Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.’”
Nehemiah 8:10

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.”
Psalms 30:5

“The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Psalms 34:17

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
Psalms 147:3

“Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.”
Isaiah 40:31

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, nor will the flame burn you.”
Isaiah 43:2

“So the ransomed of the LORD will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Isaiah 51:11

“To grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”
Isaiah 61:3

“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”
Luke 18:1

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Philippians 4:8

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
1 Peter 4:12-13

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7

For reading & meditation: Job 21:1-9
“Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” (Job 21:7)

[Let's examine] the question with which the psalmist struggles in Psalm 73: Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper while the path of the righteous is beset by so many difficulties? Look now at how the psalmist views the condition of the ungodly: “They suffer no violent pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they smitten and plagued like other men. Therefore pride is about their neck as a chain; violence covers them as a garment – as a long, luxurious robe” (Psalm 73:4-6, Amplified Bible). What a graphic description this is of the person who has no time for God, yet goes on from day to day with few troubles. It is probably the most perfect picture in all literature of the so-called successful man of the world. Note that the psalmist begins his description of the ungodly with a reference to the way they die: “They suffer no violent pangs in their death.” Throughout time the notion has been universally present that a good life ends in a good death, but the psalmist makes the observation that in his experience the reverse is true. Have you not struggled with these same feelings whenever you have heard of a Christian dying in great agony while a non-Christian passes away peacefully in his sleep? What do you do with those feelings? Ignore them? Deny them? Repress them? Remember, it is only exposed problems that can be resolved. I say again, if you are not willing to face a problem, how can you go about getting it resolved?

Prayer:

O God, save me from denying the difficult problems and feelings I encounter in life. Help me understand that it is easier to deal with things when they are up and out than when they lie buried within. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

For further study: Luke 12:15-21

For reading & meditation: Psalm 19:7-14
“Clear me from hidden and unconscious faults.” (Psalm 19:12, Amplified Bible)

We said [previously] that exposed problems are the only ones that can be resolved. Is this just an interesting theory, or is it something that can be supported from Scripture? Let me see if I can convince you that this statement has a biblical basis. Come back with me to the Garden of Eden and think again about the questions which God put to the first human pair: “Where are you? Who told you that you were naked? What is this you have done?” (Genesis 3:9-13). Does anyone believe that God needed to ask those questions in order to gain information for Himself? Of course not; being omniscient (that is, having all knowledge), He already knew what they had done. Then why did He put those searching personal questions to them? Surely the answer must be that the direct questions encouraged them to face something that they preferred not to look at. God knew that before the problem could be dealt with it must be brought out into the open. Some people may think that by far the best way of dealing with unacceptable thoughts and feelings is to push them back into the unconscious but, as we are now seeing, that is a fallacy. Problems that are buried inside us rather than brought out into the light work to drain us of spiritual energy. It takes a lot of emotional energy to keep things repressed. This is why people who repeatedly use the defense of repression end up feeling overtired. Healthy people are those who, like the psalmist in Psalm 73, bring their thoughts and feelings into awareness – no matter how “unspiritual” those thoughts and feelings may appear to be.

Prayer:

Father, I now begin to see why You bring me face to face with so many disturbing questions, for You know the havoc that is wrought within when issues are ignored or denied. Help me face anything and everything. In Your Name. Amen.

For further study: Lamentations 3:40