To anyone who has felt abandoned, betrayed, or alone in their struggles, there is an important truth to remember: Abandonment by man doesn’t mean abandonment by God. This is the heart of what Paul says in some of his final words to Timothy.
“At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4 v 16-18)
Picture the scene: the great apostle, once surrounded by fellow believers and ministry partners, now standing alone in a Roman courtroom. “No one came to my support,” he writes with striking honesty. “Everyone deserted me.”
This wasn’t just any ordinary abandonment. Paul was facing his final trial, likely before Emperor Nero himself. His life hung in the balance, and those he had served, taught, and loved were nowhere to be found. The very people who had benefited from his ministry, who had seen his sacrifice and dedication, had melted away when the stakes became highest.
Yet Paul’s response reveals something extraordinary about his character and faith.
We all have experienced people walk away or not turn up when we expected they would.
What does Paul teach us?
- Pray for them. “May it not be held against them.”
- Acknowledge Him. God is in the darkness.
- Continue. God’s presence wasn’t there to comfort but to bring courage to continue, even in a courtroom, to fulfil the calling God has given you.
- Circumstances may remain. God’s deliverance sometimes means preservation through suffering rather than removal from it. “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.”
- Keep your eyes ahead. This life isn’t all about your escape from earth’s difficulties but rather it is all about your arrival into heaven’s glory.
- Worship. “To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” When we truly understand God’s faithfulness, even our deepest disappointments can become occasions for praise.
In the end you are never alone.
Missions Paul 