2 Timothy

It took me 13 minutes to read this passage.  I wonder what reunion Paul was referencing in chapter 1 verse 4?  Paul was hoping that Timothy would see him before his expected execution, but was he looking forward to an earthly reunion?  And how joyous would that gathering in prison actually be?  I struggle with Paul’s stance, not because I disagree with it, but in understanding how God led him to that point in life.  I believe that for every Christian who will stand firm, even in the face of death, God will enable them to walk boldly into the valley of that shadow.  He will surround them with a light of hope that will penetrate the darkness of death and allow them to act with a confidence in eternity.  I believe that because I see it in Paul’s writings and in the words and actions of Christians throughout the centuries.  Prisons cannot restrict the love of Christ.  Threats cannot change the truth of God’s mercy.  Sickness cannot dim the hope of life eternal.  Loss cannot destroy the treasures of true worth offered to all people in Christ’s sacrifice.

Stuart