Staying at Home Purposefully

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
¹² if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
¹³ if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
_{2 Tiimothy 2:8–13 (NIV)}

In 2 Timothy, Paul talked about how he was in prison, for preaching the Good News about Jesus. But, he said, the Word of God cannot be chained. Paul goes on to say that he is willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Jesus Christ to those God has chosen. We, too, can take comfort in knowing that what we are enduring has a purpose.

We are “imprisoned” for love’s sake: to protect ourselves and others. How we, by God’s grace, react to this situation…trusting that God is still in control, and putting others before ourselves…speaks volumes about the power of God to change lives. We are “living epistles.” Paul used his time in prison to write letters. He could not go to visit, but the Word of God was not chained. How can we take advantage of our “imprisonment” for our own spiritual growth and for that of our families and friends?

Prayer:
Lord, grant me strength and patience as I endure, this challenging time. If my patience fails and my strength wanes, Lord lead me into a greater understanding of your love and the endurance that is given by Christ ^* .