Paul was no stranger to chains. He was familiar with suffering for the sake of the gospel. The circumstances of Paul’s life could have made him bitter and resentful but instead he focused on the mission. He knew the end result of many coming to Christ was worth whatever he had to endure along the way.
I wonder how many of us can say that we have put the mission of sharing the gospel so far above our own agenda and our own comfort that we can say with Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain?”
In 2 Timothy 2:8-10, Paul says, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.”
Paul was so convinced of His calling, that even in his worst circumstances, he was able to set aside his own needs and press on because he knew “the word of God is not bound.” It didn’t matter what he experienced, God’s word would not be stopped.
In the current condition of our nation, we too must remember that no matter what happens around us or to us… the word of God is not bound. We have so many things that could cause us to be discouraged or to become bitter that we can sometimes forget that God’s word, God’s plan for the salvation of humanity is still moving forward. The events of the year 2020 have been so challenging that people are looking for answers and we have them. Let’s be like Paul and be encouraged that we can share the gospel no matter what situation we find ourselves in and rejoice because…
The word of God is unstoppable! Glory to God!