Have you ever had a friend fail you? Of course, you have we all have had at one point or another some have failed us because our expectations were too high. They did not actually fail us just didn't live up to expectations that were too high! Others have let us down for a myriad of reason, but regardless of the reason, we were let down. Timothy was seeing it happen left and right and Paul reminds him of what he went through as an encouragement.
"At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them." 2 Timothy 4:16
Paul was writing to Timothy of the times where he stood before the Roman court. He needed friends to stand and testify on his behalf. When he turned, no one was there! He had to completely depend upon the Lord and the Lord alone.
In his encouragement to Timothy Paul tells him about his abandonment. Paul is reminding Timothy that in his court case as things where at there worse not only did no one testify for him but the phrase translated "no one stood for me" means at the time they were called to testify they all walked out on him. "Ouch," that would really sting! You would think something like this would make Paul bitter and of course why would he share such a bitter thing with his young protege? Paul did not grow bitter he loved people, trusted them, and believed in them. However, his ultimate hope and trust were not in people but in the Lord who doesn't ever disappoint (Romans 5: 3-5).
How do I know? Here is what the next verse says...17 "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also, I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion." The word Paul uses here for "stood" means that Jesus came beside him in his time of need. He "strengthened" him which means the Holy Spirit poured into him with a power like never before so rather than feeling abandoned he felt a fresh infusion of God's power!
Stuff happens to us all of the time, but if we choose to act like Jesus and place our hope in Him, He will meet our need every time. If Paul had become bitter, he would have grieved the Holy Spirit, and He would have not been able to help and deliver him. But instead, he chose to trust in the Lord for his defense and encouragement, and God did not fail.
Friends, family, and others will fail us, but as we choose to trust God, He will never fail us! Paul didn't hold this against his friends, he modeled forgiveness, setting others free. In short, when you are hurt, rejected, or feel abandoned, the Lord will never let you down as you choose to act and live like and for Him! You are never abandoned!
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