from Day by Day with the Persecuted Church At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me ... But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. (2 Timothy 4:16-17) Gustavo Figueroa Do you hear Pauls disappointment in these words? And rightly so. He had led hundreds, if not thousands of people to the Lord. Churches were planted, the lordship of Jesus Christ was proclaimed and the Gospel was preached in many towns and countries. That led to his imprisonment and trial. When he entered the courtroom he must have looked around to see where his friends, the Christians, were sitting. He saw no one. What a disappointment that must have been. The moment he needed them most, they were absent. In fact, it was even worse. Not only were they absent, they had deserted him. One can find excuses for not being in the courtroom. Too dangerous, to busy with other things, maybe even praying for Paul at home. But everyone deserted me is done voluntarily. They wanted nothing to do with Paul. We, who live in countries where we also have to appear in court, often feel like Paul. Forgotten, even deserted. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength. This wonderful experience does not relieve us of our responsibility. We have a part to play, willingly and lovingly. And so encourage a lonely brother in need. Gustavo Figueroa from Cuba. An itinerant evangelist, he writes using a pseudonym. Copyright 1995 Open Doors International. Used by permission.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:20:01 +0000
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