August 13, 2020
2 Timothy 4:17-18 (NASB)
17 "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18 "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."
I did a search on Google looking for what Paul meant when he said that he was "delivered out of the mouth of the lion." One person said that it would have been hard for Paul to have been throw into the lion's den since the Coliseum was not even been built for another three to four years. Besides that, he pointed out that because Paul was a Roman citizen, the law required that he could not be executed in that way. So he said he believed that the lion he was referring to here was Satan:
The devil is a liar, and out of his mouth will flow false accusations towards anyone that is a believer. He wants to discourage you from being a witness for Christ. If he can’t kill you, he wants to destroy your credibility. 1 Peter 5:8 says, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Nothing has changed with him, he is still looking for someone to destroy.
Our God is set on rescuing us. I was at a church on time and I asked the people there if they were saved. Most of the hands went up then I said that the word "saved" means "to be rescued." Although most of them were going to heaven, there were many in the room that night that needed to be rescued from fear, anxieties, and sickness. I think maybe you get the picture by now.
Father, we come to You, and ask that You free us from the things that confine us. Remove the danger and deliver us from evil. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Blessings on the journey, and remember that the best is yet to come.