Carol J German

Could you live like the apostle Paul?

He lived in the trenches of everyday living. He lived in the trenches with God. No matter how his day played out, he remained focused on His Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. He woke up every morning understanding that his day belonged to God, and he was given the privilege of sharing with others who He is. What he experienced because of his faith in Christ is quite extraordinary. He never gave up.

You get a snippet into his daily life when you read the letters he wrote to churches. They are found in the New Testament. One particular snippet is Philippians 2:19-24. Paul is bragging on his dear friend Timothy. Timothy understood the Gospel like Paul did. Their understanding of Christ is what drove how they lived. They cared for what matters to Jesus more than what they themselves cared about; see verse 21.

Do you live like the apostle Paul?

His letter to the holy people in Philippi was written from a prison cell. I would imagine that Paul’s days were uncertain. He was in the hands of those who lived secularly, apart from God. Anything could happen for anything apart from God is of evil.

Paul lived in the unknown, yet his outcome was not unknown to God and he trusted Him.

Living in the trenches of daily life places you in the arena of the unknown. Understanding that God has a plan for you helps in leaning on Him. For Paul, he was convinced and assured that God would deliver him from his prison cell so he could continue living out his calling from God. Paul held onto Christ for deliverance. As he waited in chains, he rested in God’s timing for his freedom.

Paul’s resting was not wasted. Pay attention when you read his letters. Even in chains, in his dark, uncertain times, Jesus spoke to Paul and developed his faith. How else did Paul write like he did? And Jesus does the same with you and me.

Your life is played out in the trenches. Every day belongs to God and He knows what lies ahead for you. Every one of us experiences prison cell living. This world is full of prison cells, and Jesus came to set you free from them. He does it, one cell at a time. He redeems your sins one a time in the trenches of everyday living. You begin to walk in freedom, more and more as you trust Jesus and change the way you live.

Live like Paul and see how Jesus will meet you the dark and help you to move from death into life. Paul understood the following reality. It is true for for every believer that walks in obedience to Christ. This reality is what fuels Paul’s energy to keep going each day, even when its dark, lonely, hard, uncertain and it will fuel your faith too.

“The best is yet to be. You shall know even as you are known. You shall see things clearly. You shall be changed. You shall appear with Him. You shall be in His home. You shall have every tear wiped away. You shall receive the reward of your inheritance. You shall see His face. You shall reign with Him forever and be with Him forever.” (Never Forgotten Always Loved, DaySpring, July 25)

God is in the trenches with you to bring you home.