S) "18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
2 Timothy 4:18 (NASB)
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Timothy 4
*because there are already entries for each of these chapters, I also read 2 Timothy 4
O) Just before this verse, Paul mentions being rescued out of a lion's mouth. Then hearing him say, in the very next line, that the Lord will rescue him from every evil deed, it almost makes it sound as if Paul never suffered harm. God saved him from a lion's mouth, and everything else. However, we can see in 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Paul suffered a great deal of physical harm for the gospel, and for Christ. In reading his list of pains, it doesn't seem very natural to say that God rescued him from every evil deed. The real issue, then, is what Paul meant when he said rescued. When Paul said that the Lord will bring him safely into His heavenly kingdom, that is the rescue he meant. For example, he was told he would be arrested, yet he still went to Jerusalem (see Acts 21:10-13). However, because he considered his flesh to be dead already (see Galatians 2:20), he apparently did not consider any harm to his flesh to be actual danger. Evil deeds against his natural self didn't seem to concern him much. It was only his spiritual well being that concerned him, and in that way, he knew he was safe.
A) Every night I pray for my kids to be healthy and safe. Certainly, I am thankful that none of my kids have suffered much physical affliction. None of them have been seriously sick, or seriously injured. I would be heartbroken, if they were afflicted much. Still, beyond their physical well-being, my primary concern must be for their spiritual safety. Similarly, when I travel, or work, I am safety-conscious and careful. Still, the condition of my body should not be too much concern too me. When I think about the promises of healing in the Bible, or promises that God will keep His children safe, I need to remember that the priority is not the physical world, which is passing away (1 John 2:17). The health I should seek, and pray for, is spiritual health. The safety I should seek, and pray for, is that my loved ones and I would be brought safely into His heavenly kingdom. With that, through all of my own concerns, just as Paul notes at the end of the verse above, I must still always bring my focus back to His glory, forever and ever.
P) Father, thank You for rescuing me from every evil deed, bringing me safely back into Your kingdom. It is only through Your grace that I am sustained, and healed, and kept safe spiritually. It is only through Your grace that my wife will rescued until she enters Your heavenly kingdom. It is only through Your grace that my kids will be healthy and safe, to reach Your heavenly kingdom. All of this grace, it points to the glory of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Help me to see more clearly, the spiritual importance in every circumstance. Help me to sift through the muck of this natural world, which I know is passing away. Open my eyes to see and my ears to hear. May the Holy Spirit lead me in every obedience, Father. Discipline me, as a son, that I would grow more and more to resemble Jesus Christ, the first born of the resurrection. Let Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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