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For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.2 Timothy 1:12

Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.1 Peter 4:19

In the previous verses, Paul has explained to us his appointment as a preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Everlasting Gospel. In verse 12, he begins by explaining that this gospel is the cause for which he suffers. But he’s not ashamed, for he knows in whom he has believed and is persuaded that God is able to keep him until “that day”.

What day is Paul talking about? Let’s look at a few references:

Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;Joel 2:1

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.Malachi 4:1

Our Saviour, Christ the King, will soon be returning to this earth to claim His people. At the glorious trumpet sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first and those who remain will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Then, in His justice and mercy, the Lord will destroy the wicked who remain alive upon the earth.

Paul looked forward by faith to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was the apostle’s hope that Christ would return in his day and, had the church remained faithful, he could have. But they went into apostacy and, not long after, John, by Inspiration, penned the prophecies of Revelation, which foretold the dark ages soon to come and that there would be many hundreds of years yet before an opportunity would arise again for Christ’s return.

But Paul wasn’t discouraged. For those who die in the faith, with their life committed to and hidden in Christ, will rest asleep in the earth until they hear the trumpet sound. For those who are asleep in death, this will be as but a moment. So, with courage in his heart and faith in the promises of God, which he knew to be sure beyond all doubt, Paul committed his life into the hands of God and pressed onward to finish the good fight of faith.

Call To Action: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and commit your life into His loving and faithful hands. Lean not on your own understanding and put not your confidence in the things of men. Acknowledge God in all your ways today, look forward by faith to the great things He has promised, and, as you continue to place your trust in Him, He will direct your paths. As you walk through the darkness that life’s trials and challenges sends your way, He will be with you and comfort you, He will protect and sustain you, and whether you are laid to rest or are alive on earth at the coming of Christ, you can be sure that the fight has not been fought in vain and victory, in His strength, has been won.

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