Trusting in Times of Tribulation

I was thinking the other day about how Paul may have understood his imprisonment in Rome, beyond what is revealed by Scripture. I was trying to put myself in his place . . . to understand his frame of reference. In what may have been his last 50 recorded words or so, he said, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen” (II Timothy 4:18).

From my perspective, altogether too many professing believers in this day tend to cling to that verse as a proof text that the Lord will deliver us from the tribulations of life. Not so. It says that Paul was confident (trusting) that the Lord would deliver Him from every annoyance, peril, pain or trouble, whether seen, unseen or unforeseen (faith).

It struck me that Paul had been in this position before. While chained in the darkness of night at the jail in Philippi, he and Silas prayed and sang praises to God (Acts 16:25). It is likely that they sang from Psalms 113 through 118, the Hallel Psalms. (Psalm 119 has too many verses.) I also imagine them singing something like, “Blessed Be the Tie that Binds.” Well, probably not. But think about it: they were singing songs of thanksgiving, so I doubt that their prayers were bemoaning their current condition and begging the Lord to deliver them from it. What they did, instead, was what any thoroughly contented and trusting follower of Christ would do. They remained calm and steadfast. And they completely, 100%, simply trusted the Lord for each approaching minute. After all, He either is, or He is not, Faithful and True. Their actions showed that they believed that He is. 

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