For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.  I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

II Timothy 4:6-8

Living is often not easy.  A number of things can contribute to life’s difficulties.  Sometimes the struggles are physical, mental, spiritual, social or some combination of these.  When all these things seem to pile up and pile on, we may find ourselves inclined to want to bring the pain to an end, and ourselves with it.  Instead of putting a semicolon, and continuing to write our story, we elect to put a period.  Paul was in his last imprisonment in Rome when he wrote the words of our text for today.  He was facing the end of his earthly life and perhaps could have sought ways to cheat the executioner, as others have done.  He did not.  Rather, in the same chapter he wrote, ‘And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’  Regardless of his circumstances, Paul looked to Christ.  Christ is the answer to our worst circumstance and our most self-destructive tendencies.  Christ is the answer, as opposed to all the power-of-positive thinking religious jargon, that points us to ourselves instead of to Christ.  He holds us up when we cannot stand.  He lifts us up when our head sinks beneath the waves.  He is the One Who can deliver us from ourselves when we are inclined to finish our story with a period.  Regardless of where we are in our experience today, we may still look to Christ, for He can hold us up when no one else can help.

Our Glorious, Living Christ,
we rejoice at Your compassion towards us.
We praise You that You afford us so many opportunities
to look to You in the means of grace that You have provided.
We pray that every day, You will draw our hearts out after You,
and lift us up, no matter how low we sink.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning