Who’s guarding your fortune?

Saturday 12-10-16, Home again, Modesto USA 

Today we read 2 Timothy 1 – 4 

S.  2 Tim 1:11-12 “…God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. And that is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return. NLT

O.  Paul has spent his whole life traveling to new territory to preach the Good News of Jesus Christ and returning to his converts to spend months teaching them the ways of God. Now he is in the final lap of his journey and he knows that fact.  But although he will soon be out of action, his investment has not been in vain.  His investment is in the “safety vault” of God’s guardians.  This verse reminds me of Paul’s declaration in Phil 1:6 And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. NLT

A.  Paul has assurance, not only of his personal salvation, but also that his labors have not been in vain.  It must be terrifying to invest one’s life in a project and to see it crumble before one’s eyes. 

Mr. Michell invested his fortune in the building of a tourist town called “Bay Ocean” on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and Tillamook Bay in Oregon.  He built a huge natatorium, cabins and hotels out over the beach and convinced many people to build nice vacation mansions overlooking the ocean.  Then, as I understand the story, the government built a long jetty to protect ships’ entrance to the bay port which redirected the ocean currents and within a few years washed his city away.  I was a little child and saw the ruins of his great natatorium and beautiful mansions that crumbled and crashed to pieces on the sand below.  There were nice concrete streets that suddenly ended and their crumbled pieces lay far below.  When we were children, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell still ran the only store and Post Office.  It was all that was left.  All that they had invested their entire lives in, now lay in ruins.  I understand that Mr. Mitchell was finally interned in an asylum for the mentally ill.  How sad!

P.  Because of Your mercy, Lord, You are keeping all my life’s investment in your “safety vault” and the devil himself has no access to it.  An earthquake, a tsunami or an economic crash cannot destroy it.  And even I am safe in Your tender arms.  Amen.

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Frances J. Crosby 1868

1.    Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! ’tis the voice of angels
Borne in a song to me,
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea.

o   Refrain:
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on His gentle breast;
There by His love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.

2.    Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations;
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears!

3.    Jesus, my heart’s dear Refuge,
Jesus has died for me;
Firm on the Rock of Ages
Ever my trust shall be.
Here let me wait with patience,
Wait till the night is o’er;
Wait till I see the morning
Break on the golden shore.