Paul’s Final Days
2 Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith.”
Paul’s had an incredible life filled with hardship, pain,
grief, condemnation, and torture.
It is easy to see why he would be so welcomed into God’s kingdom
after all he had endured. Our first instinct is to say, “Paul deserves heavenly
bliss after all of that.”
Then we look at our own lives, and though we believe and
minister to others, we can in no way compare to Paul’s incredible strength and
perseverance. The manner in which we carry on our daily lives cannot hold a
candle to Paul’s, even though we may stay in God’s word, witness to others,
and deeply believe. Paul was confident beyond a doubt, about what his fate would
be after death. How amazing to depart from this world knowing without
hesitation, the Lord was totally pleased with everything you did, and you would
soon be in paradise with Him,........ eternally!
2 Timothy 4: 8 “Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that
day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” Paul knew then, as we must understand now; Our God uniquely
created each one of us. He is aware of our circumstances and our personal
struggles. He acknowledges the world we live in today, and does not expect us
all to be as Paul was. He is however, waiting for us to develop into our own Paul based
on our individual state of affairs, using the gifts He has blessed us with.
Reading again through all the trials of Paul, and attempting
to make a connection to today, the poem “IF” by Rudyard Kipling came to mind.
There are multitudes of writings that without direct reference to faith or
things of the spirit, do indeed communicate faith based messages. I believe
this is one of them.
Read/Listen to 2 Timothy 4: 1-8
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