Hello, and welcome back to Tabernacle Tidbits.
Today, we are in 2 Timothy, Chapter 1, and verse number 12, the Apostle Paul has been telling his former protege, Timothy, who is now one of the elders, one of the pastors in the city of Ephesus.
And at that church there, he's been talking through with him why he should be following the Lord, even though there are hardships and trials, and there is shame and difficulty in following the Lord.
And he tells him about just the wonder of the Gospel and reminding him that that's why they do everything that they do.
And verse number 11, the Apostle Paul wrote, For this Gospel, I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, and then verse number 12, and that is why I suffer these things.
He says, I'm in prison right now in Rome because God appointed me to be a herald, apostle, and teacher, one that would call out to others about what the Gospel is, one who is sent out for the purpose. That's what apostle is, one that is sent out.
And he says, and a teacher, someone that would call out to people about the Gospel, spend time talking with them about what it means, and then teaching them everything that Jesus told the initial 12 apostles.
And he says, and that's why I'm suffering. When we suffer, it's because God has called us to something. When we suffer, it is not that God hates us, it's not that God has led his hands off of our life, and so now we are experiencing difficulties.
Instead, we can realize, if I'm going through hard times, it's because Jesus wants to be close to me. He wants to provide for my needs. He wants to be my source of comfort and strength and joy.
He wants me to be able to encourage others to bring them along. It is so that I would be able to have opportunities to talk to people that I would not have been able to talk to otherwise.
I'd be able to reason with people or assure them of the genuineness of the goodness of God because I have gone through hard times. And if I hadn't gone through those hard times, they wouldn't really believe me that God could be good in difficulties.
But because my track record now is what it is, I can be believed when I talk about God.
And I say even in the difficulties, even in the cancer diagnosis, even in the loss of a loved one, even when I've been betrayed and divorced, I can still speak to the goodness of God that He is good, even when my circumstances are not.
He says, I suffer these things because God appointed me to something. And he says, but I am not ashamed. This is the same call he gave to Timothy.
He says, you don't be ashamed of the Lord or of me. And he says, I am not ashamed because I know whom I've believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to him until that day.
He says, I don't have shame in being a Christian because I know the person that I've believed in. I know Jesus. I know who he is.
I know what he's done. I know that he is God. I know everything that he went through on my behalf.
And so there is no shame in knowing Jesus. Frankly, there is shame in rejecting Jesus, but there is no shame in living for him, in knowing him personally. And he says, I'm not ashamed, number one, because I know who Jesus is.
And then he also says, I'm not ashamed because I'm persuaded that he is able to guard what I've entrusted to him until that day, until the day that I see Jesus again. I know that my soul belongs to him.
And so I can't have any shame in him because he is the one that is protecting me that I know when I get to the end of my life, I don't have to fear condemnation.
Instead, I know that I am walking right into the arms of my Savior and my Heavenly Father.
And so as a result, because I know that he will never leave me or forsake me, because I know that I am in his hand and he is in the Father's hand and no one is able to pluck me out of my Father's hand, that there is such certainty and joy in that,
that there is no shame, there is pride, not in me, not in my good works, but I am able to boast in the cross of Jesus Christ. I am able to boast in my God who is greater than anyone else.
And so because of that God, I can boldly proclaim to others who he is. I can proclaim his goodness in the middle of tragic circumstances because I know that he keeps me safe, that when my faith would fail, he holds me secure.
And what an incredible God that that is. And that's what Paul was telling Timothy. He says, I'm not ashamed of this Jesus because I know who he is and I know what he is currently doing for me until the day that I am reunited with him.
Today, will you be faithful to share Jesus, to not allow your circumstances to drive you from God, but have them drive you to God, recognizing that he has a purpose in all of your pain.
And that purpose is so that you would be close to him, know him and be able to share him with others. And are you looking forward to that day when you're reconciled with him? Thanks for tuning in.
Have a wonderful day.
