Trumps in Spades

2 Timothy4-Part 9
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.  2 Timothy 4:18


LET IT GLOW

When our children were growing up, we often played a card game called "Spades" on Saturday night. In this game, you would play your cards according to the suite on the table for each round. The highest card won that round for the team. However, if a person didn't have a card of that particular suite, they could play a spade, which was called a "trump" and win that round, picking up a point. The challenge was to make your bid using the cards in your hand. Because of the trumps, this did not always happen, thus the fun of the game.
We didn't know if anyone would trump our hand and take away our expected point.

I thought of the word "trump" used in that card game when I read it in his book, Swindoll's New Testament Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus: "Regardless of the final outcome of his next trial, Paul knew he would emerge from his dungeon a free man. He fully expected the Lord to rescue him "from every evil deed," not by helping him avoid suffering or pain, but by triumphing over it. The Lord does this by trumping the evil deeds of humanity to give them divine purpose. He also triumphs over evil by giving external glory to the one who bears suffering with patience, endurance, faithfulness, and grace."

"Deliver me and preserve me. What security! He was sure of being delivered from evil work here and preserved to the glory up there! Preservation from the wicked one is a certainty for the believer (Eph. 1:13; 4:30)," says Liberty Bible Commentary.

According to Thayer's Lexicon, deliver means "to rescue" and preserve means "to save and transport into."

The Bible tells us of  a lot of times that the Lord delivered people-Hebrews from their enemies, slavery, Babylonians, Assyrians, Daniel and the lions' mouths, three Hebrew boys out of the fiery furnace, David from the giant Goliath, Peter from prison, Paul and Silas in the dungeon, and so many others.
Won't He deliver us from our enemies, ourselves, and death?

2 Corinthians 1 9-10 says: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in who we trust that he will yet deliver us.

Ultimately, we will be delivered from this body's sinful nature, from this cruel world, and into the arms of our dear Savior. Now is that a reason to shout?

Do I seek the Lord and allow Him to "trump" over evil in my circumstances? Do I trust Him to deliver me from whatever has me in bondage, prison?

Paul was trusting God to preserve him unto God's heavenly kingdom. Paul knew the completition of his own salvation was nearer than when he first believed (Rom. 13:11). (MacArthur)
In Philippians 1:21, Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
He was ready to go on to his heavenly reward and be with his Savior. Can we say that?


LET IT GROW

Paul was giving glory to the Lord Jesus for ever and ever, at the end of verse 18.

Swindoll's New Testament Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus states:

In the midst of his anguish, Paul gave glory to God. He used the term doxa, from which we derive the word doxology, by which we sing our praise of God. Doxa derives from the verb dokeo, which means "to believe, think." To be glorified is to be revealed in such a way as to be thought good. To be glorified is to be vindicated in the eyes of all witnesses. Paul championed the righteousness of God while suffering in prison and plans to proclaim His goodness by dying well.

Oh that we could do the same.


LET IT GO

Allow God to triumph over evil in my life.

Trust Him to be my deliverer and preserver.

To God be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (So let it be.)