I was reading this part of 2 Timothy recently …
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
2 Tim 3:10-12 (ESV)
… and a thought struck me: that many Christians today would expect a very different verse 12 (in italics).
Paul notes his own *testing times* – then the blessing of God’s *rescue* – and the reminder comes that all the godly are persecuted. Persecuted? Why not rescued? After all, Paul himself spoke of rescue. It would sound much better to focus on the positive, non?
To be so positive would be a disaster, of course. We’d expect an easy ride through life. Or, at the most, a limited time of the ‘tough stuff’. Because what the Lord wants for his followers is victory, power, etc, etc, etc.
It’s not the job of any Christian to determine when God will do his rescuing. It is our role to faithfully stick to the truth we trust.