Our Strong Helper — A LifeWords Devotion

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (NIV)

We are rightly told to call on others for help. Life troubles are not meant to be faced alone. And very often, others come to our side and are literally “godsends”. But it doesn’t always work out like this. Paul, in one of his final judicial hearings, had to handle it on his own, as those whom he expected to support him didn’t turn up.

Paul doesn’t call down fire and brimstone on those people. He seems to forgive them, perhaps understanding their particular circumstances. The sad fact of their not turning up is counter balanced by the fact that the living Jesus did turn up. And Jesus’ presence was not just a personal encouragement to Paul. It enabled him to somehow go on with spreading the good news. He was always concerned for this above his own comfort and convenience.

For sure, Paul was finally executed: probably soon after writing these words. He knew what he had to do at the present time, but also knew where he was ultimately headed. The authorities might condemn him to death, but for him death was not fatal.

We are to gratefully lean on others’ support. We are to have reasonable expectations of this. But in the end, it is Jesus who is our ultimate help. He is the one who will see us through to do what he has planned for us to do. If others help us along that way, well and good. But if this help should fail, he does not.