For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

Devotion based on 2 Timothy 1:7,8

I like going to parties. Recently, we had a whole string of them. Friends recently had a baby, so we enjoyed going to the baby shower. My son just turned 16, so we celebrated that. An uncle of mine recently retired, and my cousins threw a huge bash to congratulate him and wish him well in his retirement. Parties are great! People are happy. People want others to join in and get not just a slice of cake but a slice of celebration. When we have something to celebrate, it’s easy to invite others to be a part of it too.

In our Bible reading today, what Paul says seems a little odd; doesn’t it? “Join with me in suffering”? I don’t know about you, but that sounds awful to me. Suffering is something that everybody avoids any way they can, right?

Keep in mind that Paul was writing these words from prison, and very soon he was going to lose his life for telling other people about the wonders of God. And yet, this didn’t bring him discouragement or bitterness towards God. God used this suffering to draw Paul closer to him. The suffering made Paul realize how much he relied on God for everything and that God would never abandon him.

When God allows suffering into your life, remember that your God is with you and will see you through it. You can be sure because he has promised it. And he is the God who proved that he keeps his promises by giving us a Savior to deliver us from the pain of this suffering world into the paradise of heaven.

Prayer:

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.