2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

This is perhaps the most dearly loved verse in a dearly loved chapter, and I delight to write on it, but it struck me as I was reading just now that this is a milder, gentler Paul than we see in some of his earlier letters. Academic consensus seems to be that this is the last of Paul’s letters that we have recorded, and he was very aware of his impending martyrdom, as 4:6-8 makes very clear. That made him all the more concerned for those who would carry on the work after him, and specifically for Timothy, who was perhaps his closest spiritual son. In this verse, the ESV deviates from the traditional translation by saying, “what has been entrusted to me,” but the Japanese sticks with “what I have entrusted.” On the one hand, all of Paul’s trials should dispose of “triumphalism,” but on the other hand, many of the passages that are used to back up triumphalism come from Paul’s own letters! We come back to what he wrote to the Corinthians: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” (2 Corinthians 4:17) Our ultimate triumph comes not in this life but in the next, when God shows us all that He has accomplished in and through us. As Paul says here, all the mess we go through is nothing to be ashamed of, because we can have assurance that “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) I am reminded of the story of the missionary family in China that was captured by a local warlord and were being threatened with death for the sake of ransom, since foreigners were seen as wealthy. The adults were cowed, since they knew they had no money, but their young daughter stood up boldly and took the warlord to task, calling his actions as despicable as they truly were and proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ, saying that death held no terrors for them because they knew the Lord of eternal life. The warlord, either in reaction or because he was simply unmoved, had them all killed anyway. We know this story because one of the warlord’s henchmen was so moved by the little girl’s words that he later sought out Christians and was gloriously saved, serving God faithfully until his own death. We need to remember that events in this life are never the end of the story, because we all have to stand before a perfectly holy, just, and gracious God. For those who have entrusted themselves to Jesus Christ, that is a glorious prospect!

As I have written before, I don’t feel like I have had to suffer particularly for the Gospel. There are those who, knowing my story, might differ on that point, but I know of too many saints who have been faithful in severe suffering to complain about my own situation.  I have the same hope they do, and it indeed makes my trials seem light and momentary, just as Paul wrote to the Corinthians. As I write this right now, we are in the middle of a typhoon that isn’t supposed to peak for us for another several hours. I’m frankly unconcerned. I’ve been through some pretty big storms in the past, and God has shown Himself faithful. However, there are members of this church who are in fear because of this storm, and I pray for them, that they may understand how temporary all of this is. I do pray for minimal damage across the nation, but I know from experience that even storm damage can be turned around by God for blessing.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for this storm. Thank You that the peak is supposed to be in daylight, and also that we weren’t particularly aware of it as we slept last night. I do pray that all of Your purposes in allowing this storm would be fulfilled, resulting in people turning to You for their help and salvation, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!