Living in Chaotic Times

2 Timothy 4:17-18

In 2 Timothy the apostle Paul is writing to Timothy giving him instructions about life and ministry. In Chapter 4, Paul speaks of his current struggles saying, in verse 16 “all forsook me”. Life was difficult but Paul was not bitter, and he had not lost hope. 2 Timothy 4:17-18 tells us why. First, the Lord stood with him. As a believer, we are never alone. God cannot and will not abandon us. So, rest assured in the middle of the chaos of circumstances God is with us. Not only is God with us but He is strengthening us. His presence gives us courage, and His word gives us wisdom and peace. God is strengthening the inner man so that we can stand and live in the midst of chaos. The natural desire is to flee chaos, but God calls us to walk through it. Why? Our lives become a living breathing testimony of God’s goodness and faithfulness in the middle of trials. Paul says it this way, “that the message might be preached fully through me”. Our lives are preaching the goodness of God as we persevere through the struggles. Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” We also need to know that God is going to deliver us. This does not mean that every situation works out the way I think it should, but that God sees us through to the other side of any situation. Sometimes disease takes life but even in death, God sees us through the struggle. As believers’ death uses us into a fuller presence of God. If you are struggling today, know that God is going to preserve you. Your life and your struggle are a message of God’s grace and goodness to a broken world.