"More Trials"

"Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me." 2 Timothy 3:11

You never reach a place in your life-- no matter how spiritual you are or how closely to God you live or how long you have walked with Him -- where you become exempt from trials, persecutions, afflictions, temptations, testing. As long as you live in this world you will face them. Paul the greatest Apostle that lived, Elijah the mighty prophet of God, and even our beloved Savior Jesus faced them throughout their lives.

You might be saying, "That sounds bleak and hopeless, is that all I have to look forward to?" That's not the end of the story. Even though we go through these times, we don't go through them alone. "For Thou art with me." We aren't defeated by them. "In all things we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus." They don't last forever. "But the Lord delivered me." There is nothing too great that the Lord can't deliver you from. "Out of them all."

Paul wasn't "disillusioned" he knew that just because he had the call of God on his life, just because he was preaching the gospel, just because he was used mightily by God, just because he was being faithful to the Lord, just because he had been devoting his life for years to the Lord, it did not mean that he would not go through difficulties. In the very next verse he writes,"Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

Paul spoke of having multiple trials- persecutions, afflictions, etc. He faced them everywhere he went- Antioch, Iconium, Lystra. You may be having "multiple" trials in every area of your life. You may be wondering why all this is happening to you- you are living as closely and obediently to God as you know how to do. Be encouraged this morning. Don't think that it's strange that all these trials are coming on you. Just remember that even though---"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalm 34:19)

Have a great day. The trials come to all, but the Lord is the deliverer.