Lest by any means I should run in vain:

Paul starts II Thessalonians 3 with, [1] Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
[2] And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

"Paul wanted the Word to be able to run and have freedom and not to be interfered with or hindered in any way; that the opposition out there against it wouldn't be successful," explains Chicago Preacher Richard Jordan.

"Notice he doesn't say, 'Pray for me that I get a new camel so I have something new to ride on.' He doesn't say, 'Pray for me that I be healed.' At this point in his life, he was sick.

"It's fascinating to me that when Paul talks about the difficulties of life, he never just points out one; he says, 'All of them and here's how God deals with them.' So whether it was sickness, persecution or opposition of people, he just lumps it all in one basket.

"Three times Paul prayed to the Lord and the Lord said, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Paul's response to that instruction was, 'Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.'

"Someone will say, 'How do you do that? Don't they hurt?' Yeah, they do. 'Don't they discourage you?' Well, that's the issue. Paul said the reason he gloried in his infirmities is 'for when I am weak then is the power of Christ my strength.' That's the issue because we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the power might be of God and not us. We can say, 'It's not I; it's Him.'

"Nowhere do you see that more clearly in your life than in the weaknesses and infirmities. In the place that you can say, 'It's not I, I can't do it,' then you can say, 'Okay, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,' and Paul says, 'I'll look at my infirmities and I'm not going to say those things destroy me.'

"Philippians 4:6-7: [6] Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
[7] And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

"There's not anything in your life you can't talk to God about and can't make your request known. Supplication is seeking help with thanksgiving, standing in the resources God's given you in Christ and applying them to the details of your life. Prayer's not just me shooting off some idea to God up there in heaven like He's a divine satellite and ricochet machine.

"Paul often used the terminology of running. You know the difference between sit, walk and run? When you stand, you aren't going anywhere; you're right there holding your ground. When you sit, you're resting in it. When you walk, you're making progress, but walking is kind of slow. But when you're running, you're making progress toward a goal swiftly. That's what Paul wants the Word to do; that there be nothing to hinder it as it goes.

"Psalm 147:15 says, 'He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.'
That's why you see the Apostle Paul pick up that phrase. Look at Galatians 2:2: [2] And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

"He's not talking about, 'I ran up there.' He's talking about, 'I went there quickly, directly, with the intention of giving this and I don't want it to have been in vain.'

"Philippians 2:15-16: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
[16] Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

"That's the idea of the free course! You can't run if you're constantly being hindered. Hebrews says, [1] Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

"Isaiah 55:11 says, [11] So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

"Do you get the concept? God's Word will accomplish what He sends it to do. You can bind Paul and put him in jail but the Word of God isn't bound.

"In II Corinthians 13 is a wonderful verse that has been a great comfort to me through the years. He says, 'You can do nothing against the truth but for the truth.'

"People can do things against you, but they can't do anything against the truth. If they lie about it, does it change the truth? No. Eventually, ultimately, it makes the truth stand out even more.

"When Paul's praying this he's not worrying about God's Word working. He knows it will do its work and it's not bound. When he says, 'That it might have free course,' he's talking about 'my preaching of the Word; my ministry of the Word.'

" 'And be glorified.' I used to wonder, 'How in the world is God's Word glorified?' How is it that God's Word is lifted up and its importance and power is acknowledged?' Then I read the verse again and realized, 'Oh, the verse tells you.'

"How is the Word of God glorified? I Thessalonians 1:5 says, [5] For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

"The Thessalonians received the Word and then they believed it and when they believed it, it worked; its importance and power was demonstrated.

"As I Thessalonians 2:13 says, [13] For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.' "

(new article tomorrow)