Lifetime Daily DevotionsSample

Whether By Life or By Death   The glorious fight that God gave me I have fought, the course that I was set, I have finished, and I have kept the faith. II Timothy 4:7 (J.B. Phillips)               Hello my dear friends there in Rome. I've been praying for you [1] and hoping that I will be able to come and see you soon. I have longed for years to visit you  [2] and it seems now that there is no further place for me in this region [3]. I need to get away from Judea and being with you would be refreshing for me. [4] I want to share some things with you and I'm eager to have you share with me. I think we will both profit from being together.[5] Paul Paul, the author of thirteen of the books in our New Testament, is one of the greats in God's "Storybook." He was instrumental in establishing many of the churches in the Asian world. However, there was one place that he really hoped to establish a church'in Rome. God assured Paul that he would witness to the people in Rome: Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also. [6] But Paul's witness in Rome was not as he had planned it, was not as he had prayed about it, it was not as he had expected it to be, nor was it his "usual" style of witnessing. Oh, he did go to Rome. He was imprisoned in Rome two times. The first time was fairly comfortable. He was kept at the barracks or in a rented house'at his own expense.  [7] He could come and go, could have visitors, could talk freely with people. His second imprisonment was much different. He was imprisoned in a dungeon under the rule of Nero and was beheaded by Nero's command. (This info about the manner of Paul's death is church tradition, not directly found in scripture. You might want to say that, as in, "According to tradition, Paul was imprisoned..." or "Tradition says that Paul....") We're so prone to analyze, to try to figure out why God doesn't answer our prayers, and we usually wind up shaking our fist at God and demanding that He tell us what He is doing in our life or the life of a loved one. "Why didn't You answer my prayer? I followed all the rules. I said all the right things. And for You to let this happen when I prayed so urgently. I just don't understand, God!" God's ways are different than our ways. [8] He is omniscient. He knows what is to come, what must be done, and how to accomplish His goals. As God's children, we want God's will to be fulfilled in our lives and His plan will be fulfilled. [9] The thing we must accept is that it will be done HIS way, not MY way. Death is no problem to God. He does not see death as we do. Death here on earth releases His children to come Home, to be with Him eternally. Do you remember Paul's analysis of death? Philippians 1:20-21: May Christ be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. I think if we dig down deep enough, we will see that it isn't death that we fear, we know from His Word that death for the Believer will be a glorious graduation day from the University of Earth! After walking across that stage we enter into eternal peace. Eternal peace! No, it isn't death itself we fear. What we fear is the unknown: How am going to die? Is it going to be a painful death? Instant death? When and how?  The University of Earth is in enemy territory and we are surrounded by the rulers, the powers, the world forces of this darkness, the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. [10] Small wonder that we suffer in this world controlled by evil. [11] How many of us are saying, with John, "Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!" [12]               Your ways, O Lord, I cannot understand. I don't need to understand, do I? I know that you are in control so I rest in Your ways, Your plans. I believe; help my unbelief.       [1] Romans 1:9-10 [2] Romans 1:13, 15:23 [3] Romans 15:23 [4] Romans 15:32 [5] Romans 1:11-12 [6] Acts 23:11 [7] Acts 28:30 [8] Isaiah 55:8-9 [9] Isaiah 46:9-10 [10] Ephesians 6:6 [11] John 14:30 [12] Revelation 22:20