16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16-18 ESV)
Paul had been abandoned by most during the time when he was jailed in a Roman prison. However, he never gave up telling those who would listen about Jesus plan for salvation. At one point he mentions that he had preached it to all of the Roman guards there. He never gave up and counted upon the Lord to rescue him and bring him safely to heaven.
The Bible does not specifically tell us how Paul died, but it is likely that he was ultimately killed by the Romans. However, he counted it all as gain because his faith was so strong.
When we feel deserted we must fall back into the arms of God. Even when everyone has left us we can count upon the Spirit to minister to us and God to uphold us, if we are strong in our faith and continuing to do His will. We are never totally alone.
Reflect on: Times when you felt abandoned and how your faith got you through. If you are dealing with that right now, pray for comfort.
