Pray the Word with David Platt is a resource from radical.net.

2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 16 and 17.

At my first defense, no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me.

May it not be charged against them, but the Lord stood by me and strengthened me,

so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.

So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. These verses here at the end of Second Timothy are so encouraging and discouraging at the same

time. Because Paul is talking about when he was experiencing opposition, when he was going

through trial. What's somewhat discouraging is when he says, nobody came to stand by me.

Everybody deserted me. Now, I love how right after that, he says, man, not be charged against

them. I'm not writing this to accuse them, because then what's encouraging is Paul says,

even when nobody else stood with me and everybody else deserted me,

but the Lord stood by me.

And he strengthened me so that I was delivered from the lion's mouth.

And when I read this, I just think about the reality that people will let us down.

We let others down and other people let us down.

It's part of the picture of fallen, sinful humanity that even the best people are not perfect.

Even the greatest friends, family members,

will still sometimes let us down. I think about how much I love my wife, how much I love my kids, and work for their good, and at the same time I know that sometimes I let them down. And that's what's

kind of discouraging. But what is so encouraging is to know that God himself, the Lord, who's sovereign over

all creation, who holds all things, and who holds you in the palm of his hand,

he will never, ever let you down. Never. You can trust perfectly, completely in him. He will always

stand by you and strengthen you as you trust in him.

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