KneEmail - a devotional by Mike Benson associated with Forthright Magazine
Deliver
ONE OF THE most unusual and possibly confusing statements in the Bible is, "Out of them all the Lord delivered me..." ( 2 Timothy 3:11)...
Paul wrote this about the events recorded in Acts 13 - 15. As Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in Antioch, they had exceptional results. Acts 13:44 reveals that almost the whole city gathered to hear the Word of the Lord. But the enemies of Christ stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and finally threw them out of town.
Then Acts 14:1-6 describes their next stop at Iconium, where they spoke boldly for Christ but were forced to leave when a murder plot was discovered. Paul and Barnabas escaped to Lystra but were followed by men from Antioch and Iconium, who stirred up the crowd against them.
In Acts 14:19 it says, "They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead." Then some years later, when Paul wrote to Timothy about these persecutions, he said, "But out of them all the Lord delivered me."
WOW!!! Paul escaped at Antioch! Paul was left for dead and it certainly was quite an ordeal to say the least. Have you ever wondered why the Holy Spirit revealed these events to us and then allowed Paul to make the comment he made to Timothy years later?
Think about it! There is a mesge for us today. Christian, if you are feeling a bit bruised and battered right now, remember that God sometimes delivers us through the stones, not from the stones.
"The LORD will keep you from evil; He will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore" (Psalms 121:7-8).
Our choice is to trust Him in every circumstance so that we can echo the triumphant testimony of the apostle Paul, "Out of them all the Lord delivered me." Christian, remember that God is good. Yes! God is good.
Paul rejoiced that he was counted worthy of suffering for Christ's sake. Does that sound like something you and I would do, rejoice because we suffered for Christ's sake? His enemies stoned him and left him for dead. But Paul doesn't say he was delivered one out of three times, or two out of three times. He says, "Out of them all..." Mike Price
KneEmail: "They called the apostles in and had them flogged... The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering dishonor for the sake of the Name." Acts 5:40-42
Bible reading for 11.30.09: 1 Peter 2; Ezekiel 37 - 39
Be a missionary. Forward KneEmail to a friend, loved one, or co-worker today.
To SUBSCRIBE or find ARCHIVES go to: http://www.forthright.net/kneemail/