“And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of His return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:8, NLT)

I love this verse so much, especially now with what we have all been through over the last two years. Personally, this time with all the lockdowns and missing family and friends has only made me more eager than ever for Jesus’ return. And so I find it so heartening to hear Paul tell Timothy that the Kingdom is for everyone who is eagerly waiting for Jesus to return.

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy from a dark, damp Roman jail cell, just before his death. The Roman emperor Nero was slowly going mad and this was only made worse by the great fire of Rome that burned half the city. Nero blamed the Christians and a great persecution began, one that Paul got caught up in and found himself in jail and close to the end of his life. Times were tough. We might be feeling the same about our lives now. Check what Paul says earlier in this fourth chapter of his letter.

“For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. They will reject the truth and chase after myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4, NLT)

That sounds exactly like our times right now! People listening to what is being said on podcasts, and YouTube, and Twitter instead of to God. But Paul, instead of whinging about how unfair life was and all the troubles that had befallen him, spends the second letter he wrote to Timothy trusting that God had him exactly where He wanted him, thinking of others and having faith that the Kingdom was coming for him.

Yes, times are tough. But let’s be like Paul, let’s think of each other, how we can help and inspire each other to stay faithful to God, and to be more and more EAGER for Jesus return every passing day. Paul is challenging us here to have faith that the Kingdom is there not just for him, but also for us all. And if in your heart you know you are eager for Jesus return and the Kingdom, then let this be a clear example to you of your faith and love for God and His promises. And that is something that we should hold onto tightly and allow ourselves to be lifted by in these difficult times.