At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 2 Timothy 4:16,17
You and I will never encounter an ordeal like the one that Paul describes in our text. He is reminding Timothy of what happened the first time that he appeared before the Roman emperor Nero. This was a nerve rattling experience that would try the soul of the bravest of men. None of the other Christians was brave enough to show up for the hearing. We don’t know who might have been available to go, but some were, and the dread of Nero’s court was too much for them. We are not told all that happened at that hearing, but apparently at some point, Paul was given an opportunity to speak. And speak he did, delivering a Gospel message. In that terrible day when Nero stands before the Great White Throne, he will have to confess that he heard the Gospel at least once. Paul was faithful. In fact, being able to preach that message was the most important thing to Paul. Paul went into that hearing knowing that his life was in the hands of that evil emperor, that Nero was likely to order his immediate execution. Obviously, that didn’t happen; Paul says he was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. Paul knew why: the Lord stood with him.
Today, several Christians will be arrested in North Korea, and will be swiftly condemned and executed, perhaps tortured in the process. Today, several Christians will face a similar fate at the hands of Sharia law enforcers in Muslim nations. In these cases, we can say that these martyrs were not delivered out of the mouth of the lion. But did the Lord stand with them? If Paul were here, he would tell us that these dear saints were never abandoned by God. In fact, they were undoubtedly given a hero’s welcome into Heaven, as Stephen was. Although Paul was delivered during his first court hearing, he was not delivered in the last. But knowing that the Lord had stood with him at his first appearing, Paul could be assured that God would stand with him all the way. God cannot, and will not, abandon His own, regardless of the outcome.
Paul’s ‘notwithstanding’ is a precious promise. Even when others fled, God stood with Paul. Regardless of the circumstances, God stood with Paul. God has not changed. Even when we think we are alone, and even when we think the situation is hopeless, God is there, standing with us. – Jim MacIntosh