February 3, 2021 (Wednesday)
I’ve chosen The Message translation of 2 Corinthians to quote Paul on the subject of his sufferings for Christ, because I believe this translation best exhibits the feelings of Paul as he wrote: “I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door time after time. I’ve been flogged five times with the Jews’ thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I’ve had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I’ve been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I’ve known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather” (2 Corinthians 11:23-27 MSG).
His trials began as soon as he became a Christian. Those he had worked for as he had persecuted Christians wanted him dead, and Christians understandably were afraid of him and suspicious of his motives because he had been such a strong enemy of the followers of Christ. He was therefore convinced to move to his old home town, Tarsus of Cilicia, where he remained for many years, until needed by the church at Antioch of Syria where he would be commissioned to be a missionary, along with his friend, Barnabas, whose young nephew, John Mark, accompanied them until they headed into the mountains toward Antioch of Pisidia. As noted above, Paul would suffer much for His Lord, even on his first missionary journey when he took the gospel to Galatia. There, at Lystra, he was stoned and left for dead outside the city.
The hymn, “Amazing Grace,” had not yet been written, but one of its verses could well have been a quotation from Paul: “Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come. ‘Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
Perhaps he thought about his situation in the words of the grand old song, “When We See Christ,” in which the lyrics declare, “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus.”
WHEN WE SEE CHRIST
Esther Kerr Rusthoi
1941
Sometimes the day seems long,
Our trials hard to bear.
We´re tempted to complain,
to murmur and despair.
But Christ will soon appear
to catch his bride away!
All tears forever over
in God’s eternal day!
Chorus:
It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life’s trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ.
At times the sky seems dark,
with not a ray of light;
We’re tossed and driven on,
no human help in sight.
But there is One in heaven,
Who knows our deepest care;
Let Jesus solve your problems,
just go to him in prayer.
Chorus
Life’s day will soon be o’er,
all storms forever past;
We’ll cross the great divide
to Glory, safe at last!
We’ll share the joys of heaven:
a harp, a home, a crown;
The tempter will be banished,
We’ll lay our burdens down.
Chorus