2 Timothy 3:11, "[You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,] persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them."

Interesting points:
1. In this verse Paul reassures Timothy, who had observed Paul’s traits and directly witnessed the mentioned experiences, of the credibility of what he was about to say: Paul’s life reflected the very things he was teaching others.

2. Acts 16 reminds us that Timothy was serving alongside Paul when he faced persecution, and he was well aware of persecution Paul faced in Antioch, Lystra, and Iconium. Paul’s words "the Lord rescued me" reinforced that God was in control in every situation.

3. In Acts 13:50 we find that religious opponents stirred up persecution to chase Paul out of the city of Antioch and Acts 14:19 records that Lystra was even worse! Paul was stoned until the crowd thought he was dead, and then dumped outside of the city. Timothy was from Lystra and most likely witnessed this event. It was here that Timothy joined Paul and became a missionary with him.

Application.
Brothers, how easy it is to forget that sometimes it is the worst days of our lives that serve as our best testimony to the World of God’s love, grace and power at work within us! Left to our own strength, how many of us would have given up? But the realization that He is in control and can use our trials, suffering and humiliation to hone our character and even stop others in their tracks in awe of our faith that can serve to motivate us to get going when the going gets tough!

May we weather every storm in our lives to proclaim, “The Lord rescued me from all of them!”