.....Times of trouble test the greatest of men. The challenges of serving the Lord can be made more difficult by the persecution of those who oppose the will of God. Often we find discouragement from a source that is very close to our hearts – our friends or our families. Regardless of where it may come, disappointment can hinder our willingness to serve God fully. The apostle Paul has been given to us as a model of spiritual strength that through his writings and his life, we can better find the courage to face the daily temptations and trials of life.
..... In the final letter to Timothy, Paul admonishes his young protégé to “be diligent to come to me quickly” (2Tim. 4:9). The special need that Paul expresses in the closing of his letter is found in verses 16-18… “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
..... Can we imagine anyone refusing to stand with the apostle Paul? The remarkable fragrance of strength that Paul threads through his final letter is not one of disparity or discouragement. He has been abandoned by everyone save Luke (v 11). He has not been left alone in his final days even though at his first defense no one stood with him. It must have torn at his heart to be forsaken by all in his hour of need. His heart was broken by the desertion but his heart was mended by the love of God. He did not ask that any charge be laid at the feet of his deserters. He understood why they did what they did and prayed for them. Is that not like the Lord in Matthew 26:56 and Luke 23:34?
..... The glory of Paul’s final days is realized in the knowledge that regardless of those who forsook him, he knew that God had never and would never forsake him. “The Lord stood with me!” What a powerful statement of faith and devotion. Robertson’s Word Pictures describes this verse as the Lord “took his stand by my side.” When men failed, God, in a more remarkable manner, reminded Paul that he was standing shoulder to shoulder with the aged apostle. Paul knew that God would be his protector and rewarder of those heavenly blessings. The psalmist writes, “I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude. For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul” (Psalm109:30-31).
.....Take time to read Psalm 27. In this psalm David expresses the wonderful feeling of trust in the Lord because “the Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The one thing desired by David was to dwell with the Lord. No matter what men would do he would always trust in Jehovah. “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” We face many trials and temptations of life but with the spirit of Paul and David we will find that even when all men forsake us – God never will. He never will forsake us. He will never leave us. The Hebrew writer proclaims, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me” (Heb. 13:5-6).
..... When all men fall, the Lord will still stand side by side with those who trust in him. Take your stand with the Lord and he will take his stand with you.

Lesson From A Hummingbird
By Alan Smith

.....I had a day off last week and spent part of it doing some yard work. After I finished, I went through the garage to get back into the house. But, as I was climbing the stairs, I heard a loud fluttering of wings above me. My first thought was that a large moth or small bat had gotten itself trapped, but then I realized it was a tiny bird - a hummingbird! Its wings were flapping with great intensity as the bird slammed itself repeatedly into the ceiling. It was clearly intent on flying upward, but there was no way out in that direction. No doubt the poor bird had to be exhausted, and it was evident that it wasn't going to find its way out by itself.
..... Using my hand, I carefully guided the hummingbird out into the middle of the garage, thinking it would have no trouble finding an exit with the garage door wide open. The bird quickly found a resting spot, but when it tried to leave, it once again headed upward, banging itself into the ceiling over and over. Could it not see the wide open door with freedom just a few feet away? Why was it intent on searching for an escape route straight up? Finally, with a little assistance from Joshua, the bird made its way outside.
..... I couldn't help but think how much like that hummingbird we all are. The difference is that our search is for happiness and the "meaning of life." We search in all the wrong places over and over again, looking to material goods or immorality or addictive substances, all without success. And instead of seeing the wide open door that God has provided, we continue to painfully beat our heads in frustration. We try again and again without finding the happiness we crave, so we try even harder. We work longer hours to collect more "stuff", we sample something a little bit stronger. Why are we so blind that we cannot see what God has made available? He wants us to find the freedom of living for Him. Time and again, He gently nudges us in the right direction. But we're so blind (or stubborn?).
..... "In the Lord I take refuge... Flee like a bird to your mountain" (Psalm 11:1).

A Moment’s Wisdom

.....“Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Paul does not refer to the Philippians recent support to complain of his needs or to hint that they should continue to send him money. He is doing precisely what he counseled them to do for those who do estimable deeds - hold such in esteem (2:29). But in view of his trials, he had been in want often and knew how to deal with it without murmuring.
.....The apostle learned to have a contented mind. Paul says that he “learned” this. Very likely, he had a mind as prone to impatience as others, but he had been in many circumstances that trained him to develop a different way of feeling about his trials. He had found that there were enough blessings in Christ to enable him to bear trials with more than mere resignation. He found that the grace of God toward him far outweighed the difficulties he endured in service to Christ (Rom. 8:18; 2Cor. 4:16-18). A summary of Paul’s written conclusions on how to deal with hardship would include the following:
.....1) It is wrong to murmur over God’s Providence
.....2) Impatience does no good, lifts no burden, and supplies no need.
.....3) God often provides in ways one does not expect.
.....4) Christ is fully able to sustain devout Christians.

..... A contented mind is a wonderful blessing, and it is one of the fruits of faith from the heart. It comes from the conviction that God is right in all of His ways. Why should one be impatient, distressed, or discontented? In the inspired words of the wisdom writer: “He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast” (Prov. 15:15); therefore, the secret of Christian joy is to have a mind satisfied with what God has given in this life. It is a lesson one slowly learns; that is, not to murmur at his lot in life, not to envy the prosperity of others, not to whimper when his customary comforts are removed.

…..The servant’s heart - Christ had it; it was part of His Divine Nature. Paul had it; he learned it from Christ. Timothy and Epaphroditus had it; they learned it from the life of Christ and the example of Paul. The Philippians had it; they learned it from the life of Christ and the examples of Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. It is a godly characteristic that can be taught and learned. We can have it, too; we can learn it from the life of Christ, from the examples of dedicated soldiers of the cross, and from the Philippians.
…..The servant’s heart is seen in Christ dying for Paul, and in Paul living for Christ. It is seen in Paul suffering for the Philippians, and in the Philippians sharing in Paul’s burden at every opportunity. It is seen in Epaphroditus who came near to death for the sake of Paul and the Philippians. It is seen in every unselfish deed a Christian does for someone else. It is the essence of Christ on the cross, of Paul in frequent perils, and of saints who eagerly wait on others without a thought of themselves or of a reward. It is the fruit of a mature, loving soul that proves he is in Christ, that he has the mind of Christ, and that one day will be with Christ.
…..The Philippians manifest the true servant’s heart. Though Paul had learned contentment, and though he knew that Christ could make it possible for him to do all things, he praises them for actively showing interest in his sufferings and needs, as it confirmed their proper regard for a preacher of the gospel.
…..By communicating with Paul in his affliction, the Philippians took part in his affliction. They helped Paul to bear his hard times by taking some of the responsibility for his financial needs upon themselves. In this way, disciples share in each other’s burdens. The saint who is afflicted has his trial reduced by the amount of help given him by others, and those who send the relief take on a measure of their afflicted brother’s trial in the amount of aid they render. Thus the load is reduced by being shared around by many, rather than only being borne by one. In addition, the relief the Philippians sent not only supplied Paul’s wants, but it encouraged him with the knowledge that he was not forgotten by them.
…..When Paul left Macedonia (Acts 17:14), he departed from Berea motivated by trouble generated by the Jews, making it necessary for him to go away for his own safety. He left in haste under persecution and found himself suddenly in need of comforting aid. Both then as well as when he was in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-10), he needed financial support from others so that he might continue to preach the gospel. At that time, no other congregation sent to Paul’s relief except for Philippi. This does not necessarily mean he blamed other churches for not helping him. In view of the difficulty in reliable means of communication in that day, they might not have known of his condition. Paul simply commends and encourages the Philippians for their careful attention to his circumstances. Thus it is that encouragement finds its most effective role. One brother looks at others for the purpose of finding good works and fine qualities in them. He then praises those works and qualities in order to move them to cultivate and develop those characteristics even more. Being attentive to the needs of evangelists in distant, difficult places was a quality that needed to be encouraged in the Philippians, who serve as an example to disciples in all places in this matter.
…..Paul does not rejoice over the Philippians’ gift of money out of covetousness or personal interest. Grateful as he was for their generosity, he was primarily interested in the fact that it would ultimately lead to their own spiritual good. It was evidence that they were governed by the servant’s heart, and without doubt such good works would be rewarded in the end. This is what happens when one with a servant’s heart receives a gift from another with a servant’s heart; there are no selfish feelings involved, but rather he feels a powerful joy in seeing others show the right spirit, and he rejoices in the conviction that they will be rewarded for it. This feeling is part of the fruit of the Spirit that leads one to look away from self and to take pleasure in the happiness of others. Fruit is often used in the word of God to mean results or product. Punishment is the fruit of sin, poverty is the fruit of laziness, and happiness is the fruit of a virtuous life. This language is taken from God’s law of order in all things - that a man reaps the fruit of what he sows. Paul wanted the Philippians to grow such spiritual fruit, so that when they appeared before God, their record would reflect generosity and kindness; and therefore, would reap the same from God in eternity.
…..Paul was completely satisfied with what they sent to him. While the amount is obviously unknown, it is enough to know that it made his unpleasant situation comfortable. After all, how much money would it take to satiate the needs of a man who had learned contentment with every exigency of life?
…..The apostle credited their gift as an offering they made to God himself; and as he was inspired, his statement that it was acceptable to God is no less than a declaration from God that He approved of it. One can only imagine how uplifted the Philippians would have been by this passage. The support they sent to Paul manifests the character of the saints at Philippi and sets a standard for all churches to imitate, chiefly: 1) that kindness done to the preachers of the gospel is regarded as an acceptable offering to God, 2) that voluntary kindness to the servants of God in distress is as well-pleasing to God as keeping His commands, 3) that such acts of generosity are proof of dedication to the cause of Christ and are evidence of genuine faith.
…..Do you have the servant’s heart? You can learn it from countless Bible examples of selfless sacrifices. But it will require your own will to develop and practice it. God will greatly reward it if you do.

......“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8)
.......1) “Whatsoever things are true.” True is derived from alethes, which means “not concealing; true, truly, truth (Strongs - 227). What kinds of true things can one meditate on to such an extent that he will be able to keep on task? Paul commended the Ephesian elders to the word of God which would build them up (Acts 20:32). In addition to the word of God, Christian would profit by spending time thinking of the good works and sound words of other faithful disciples who truly live according to the guidance of scripture. One can also learn from reading objective histories, moral classics of literature, and the science that describe our universe (and that do not contradict the Bible). Thinking about things that can be proven gives one an accurate picture of both the world around him and the people who occupy it. Such thoughts will stabilize and edify him. Thinking on untrue, speculative, or suspicious things will rob him of joy and give him a skewed perspective of reality. (Read Eph 4:25)
......2) “Whatsoever things are honest.” Honest in this context carries a different connotation that that of true. This word comes from semnos, which means “venerable, honorable, grave, honest (Strongs - 4586). In usage, it appears closely related to the noble or fair-minded Bereans (Acts 17:11). Dwelling on disciples who exhibit the servant’s heart, who set examples that excel, who behave altruistically will motivate one to conduct himself in a similar manner. How pleasant it is to think about godly, honorable folks, instead of fretting over those who may have caused harm to others. (Read Lev. 19:32; 2Cor. 8:21)
......3) “Whatsoever things are just.” Just is translated from dikaios, meaning “equitable in character or act; innocent, holy, just, meet, righteous (Strongs - 1342). Immediately the fair and appropriate judgment of the Lord comes to mind. The scriptures abound with teachings that direct one to be equitable in his thoughts and treatment of others. The Proverbs of Solomon and the generous principles of the Sermon on the Mount illustrate for the reader how he can treat his neighbor in such a way as to earn his respect and affection merely by being fair and proper in judgment and manner. (Deut. 16:20; Isa. 26:7)
......4) “Whatsoever things are pure.” Pure is derived from hagnos, denoting “clean, innocent, modest, perfect, chaste, pure” (Strongs - 53). Who is more pure than the Savior who walked the face of this earth for over 33 years without sin? What could be more pure than the love a mother has for her child, or the bright-eyed, trusting gaze of a small child, or a newborn Christian, or the examples of elderly saints as they near their final days? What place will be more pure than heaven? Thinking on these things will edify and establish the thinker. Dwelling on television, sports figures, music performers, movie stars, and political officials can only rob one of joy and fill his mind with thoughts of evil deeds. (Read James 3:17)
......5) “Whatsoever things are lovely.” Lovely comes from prosphiles, meaning “friendly towards, acceptable, lovely” (Strongs - 4375). Lovely, like beauty, is often in the eye of the beholder. Lovely things, as long as they are pure in and of themselves, are matters of individual tastes. To a husband, his wife is lovely. To a grateful believer, the created world with tall forests, multi-hued sunsets, and rolling ocean waves is beautiful. Simple things, when enjoyed by a thankful Christian, can be lovely: an after dinner nap in an armchair at the end of a long day’s work, potlucks where the sisters prepare delicious treats, a game with dear friends, walking arm in arm with one’s mate down a country road at sunrise. Seeing loveliness in the world around us is a function of gratitude toward God for His manifold blessings. (Read 1Cor. 13:4-7)
…..6) “Whatsoever things are of good report.” Good report is developed from euphemos, which means “well spoken of, reputable, of good report” (Strongs - 2163). Good works are matters of good report (visiting the sick, preparing and presenting a Bible lesson, sharing one’s bounty with a saint in financial distress). It is most encouraging to hear of godly folk who are engaged in doing good works without being told to do so. While Paul told Titus to remind brethren to do such things (Titus 3:8, 14), how pleasant it is to dwell on some Christian who did a good deed without expectation of acknowledgement. It is in such activity that the servant’s heart is clearly exhibited. Which of these thoughts would lead to edification and stability: thinking about a brother who did a kind deed, or thinking about a brother who did harm? (Read Heb. 11:1-2)
…..7) “If there be any virtue.” Virtue is translated from arete, a word that means manliness, valor, excellence, praise, virtue” (Strongs - 703). One who thinks on virtue looks for the good in every situation and capitalizes on it. Temptation is not a pleasant experience, but James instructs Christians to count it joy when they encounter diverse temptations. He directs them to focus on the potential good results of trials to help them endure the difficulty with a positive spirit (James 1:2-4). One who thinks of virtue, looks for quality in everyone and does what he can to encourage the good in them. If one looks for good in others, he will find it, and he will be a true servant of the Lord if he helps others to cultivate their own good character. If he looks for the bad in others, he will also find it, and he will be warped in his view of humankind as a result of such unworthy thoughts. (Read 2Peter 1:3-11)
…..8) “And if there be any praise.” Praise comes from epainos, meaning “laudation; a commendable thing, praise (Strongs - 1868). It is so easy for disciples to grumble and poor mouth everything. People complain about the weather, the temperature of the church building, the length of the sermon, the gaffes of the song leader, the crying babies, the restless teens, the elderly sister with a cold, the steel worker who fell asleep in the next pew, the economy, the government, their favorite ball team, and on and on. If one remember that his words are a product of his thoughts, it becomes clear that his thoughts are stuck in a rut of negativism, unpleasantness, and possibly mean-spiritedness. Words come from the abundance of the heart (Matt. 12:34-37). When one speaks of good things (the laughter of friends, handshakes from children, hugs from elderly sisters, working in harmony with elders, deacons, and saints), he expresses the overflow of a mind filled with praiseworthy thoughts. (Read Heb. 13:15)
…..“Think on these things.” Paul gives this instruction in the imperative form; it carries the force of a command. Think is derived from logizomai, and it means “to take an inventory, estimate, conclude, account, esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think on” (Strongs - 3049). He requires disciples to purposefully direct their thoughts and take charge of their minds by deliberately choosing the content and nature of their mediations and daydreams. He is not advocating an eastern type of transcendental meditation; such activity serves little productive purpose and is quite self-indulgent. Rather, he wants Christians to bring their thoughts under control (2Cor. 10:5); for, one who controls his thoughts, controls his words and deeds which are the products of his thoughts.