At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. 2 Timothy 4:16

 The Apostle Paul stood before a Roman tribunal, facing a death sentence for his continual witness of Jesus Christ. Everyone abandoned him out of fear they too would be brought before the tribunal and face death. But, Paul, as lonely as he felt, he still continued to profess his faith and spread the good news of Jesus Christ, even while beaten and imprisoned.

 Maybe you have stood for something you truly believed in and all your friends and family abandoned you. Sometimes doing the right thing will cost you everything you treasure. But at the end of the day, you will be remembered for your determination to go against the grain and not waiver in your beliefs.

 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. 2 Timothy 4:17

 Although Paul was alone, He was able to experience the purest presence of the Lord in that horrible prison cell. God strengthened him and encouraged him to continue to witness so that all could hear the gospel truth.

 Your life might never be put on trial for your faith, but there will be times when your faith can be shared with the consequences of rejection and abandonment. Don’t let that discourage you from sharing your faith with others. God sees every aspect of your life and is willing and able to equip you to do the impossible (Philippians 4:13) when your actions bring honor to Him. No one will know the truth unless you are willing to share it with the boldness of Jesus Christ.