I became a servant of this gospel according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the exercise of his power. 8 To me—less than the least of all the saints—this grace was given, to proclaim to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ9 and to enlighten everyone about God’s secret plan—the mystery that has been hidden for ages in God who has created all things.
Oh, friends, that we might understand that we are “servants of the gospel.” Paul got it. He was well aware of His past life. He was a persecutor of Christians, not just persecuting their beliefs, but also seeking their arrest and imprisonment, and even death if they refused to deny Christ (Acts 26:10-11). That is, until he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus1. He was radically changed from the chief of all sinners, as he defined himself, into a minister sent to take the gospel of Jesus to the Gentiles. His mission was to help them understand that God had made a way for them to be saved and numbered among the children of God. What a privilege and a challenge this must have been for Paul.
Our stories of salvation may not all be like Paul’s on the road to Damascus, with bright lights and temporary blindness. My Damascus Road was actually in a hospital room the night my first daughter was born.2 Friends, wherever we encounter Christ and put our faith in Him, we are saved by God’s grace and commissioned to “proclaim His grace and the ‘unfathomable riches of Christ'” to the world. May we be faithful, like Paul, to proclaim the message boldly, that everyone may be enlightened.
But God is greater than all of our shortcomings and failures. He can redeem anything and anyone. No one is too far gone or disqualified from His grace and service. This is why Paul writes that he is “less than the least of all the saints.” He knows what his life looked like before Christ, yet Jesus called him to His great mission. … Your resume doesn’t disqualify you. Instead, it qualifies you as a recipient of His grace to love watching world.
LGG Journal/p97
Do you remember what your life looked like before Christ? Do you understand the privilege of being called by Jesus to carry out His commission to share His message and love with others? If so, I invite you to share your story in the comments; if not, I invite you to visit the “Know these truths” link below.
This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
From Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints [in Ephesus], the faithful in Christ Jesus. 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Ephesians 1:1-2
Friends, have you ever found yourself making snide comments or turning away from someone with a scandalous or tainted past? Or, perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of the sneers and brush-offs because of something from your past that others still judge you for. The example we see in today’s Scriptures should help us understand the wrongness of both.
Paul was cruel, a persecutor of Jesus’ followers – that is – until he was radically changed by God.
🦋
Paul was a persecutor of believers. Actually, when Jesus identifies Himself to Paul, He says, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul was a wicked man, intent on ridding the world of Jesus and His followers who spouted His teachings. That is, until Paul, looking for more believers to capture, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his life was forever transformed. To quote from one of my favorite songs: “This is amazing grace! This is unfailing love ~ That You would take my place ~ That You would bear my cross, You laid down Your life ~ That I would be set free. Oh, Jesus, I sing for ~ All that You’ve done for me!”
Who breaks the power of sin and darkness? Whose love is mighty and so much stronger? The King of glory, the King above all kings Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder? And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder? The King of glory, the King above all kings
It isn’t only others who report Paul’s cruelness, but Paul himself shares his testimony with Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, saying: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Amazing grace (how sweet the sound) that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.
It’s a beautiful testimony that I would dare say most of us can relate to in some way. After all, we are all sinners who have fallen short of God’s glory1. None of us has been saved by our good works, but solely by God’s miraculous and radical gift of amazing grace, and this only through our faith in Jesus.2 While we may not want to expose our old selves to others as Paul has done, just the words, amazing grace, bring tears as I remember the sin and shame that used to define my life. Yet joy flows with those tears as I remember “Calvary covers it all!” Friends, understanding this truth changes everything. It changes our relationship with God – the Father, Spirit, and Son; and it changes (or should change) the way we live and how we look at the sins of others. I mean, seriously – if God can love me after everything I’ve done, if He can invite me to boldly come into His presence (and He does), then who am I to turn away from or sneer at others for their sins? After all, Jesus explicitly gave us a new commandment to love others just as He has loved us3, and may we never forget that Scripture says that Jesus laid down His life for us while we were still sinners4.
If you followed along in our recent Abiding in Jesus journey, then you know that Jesus calls us His friends – a reminder that our old sin nature is gone and the new has come. Or as Paul said, “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time, we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!3“
Perhaps you’ve lived a life with no “major sins” to regret, or maybe your life (like mine) holds sinful choices/actions that still taunt you or others still ‘remember’ against you today. Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, the truth is the blood of Jesus covers it all, His righteousness has been imputed to us, and the freedom He died to bring us is available to all who believe. This is made clear through Paul’s life and the words he wrote to the Church of Rome, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus …4” When old sins and regrets haunt us or when we are tempted to judge another for their sin, may the Spirit be quick to remind us that, as this sweet old refrain says: “Calvary covers it all.” Jesus went to Calvary, taking on Himself all of our past, all of its sin and stain, all of our guilt and despair – and His blood poured out and covered it all! And now with Paul, we can declare that we are *“disciples of Christ Jesus by the will of God.“
God’s love for us passes knowledge; it is vast and complete, and yet He urges us to lean into its impossible dimensions and to rest there.
Michele Morin / Living Our Days / August 9, 2018
One of the prayers I learned to pray for women in my life years ago, specifically those who have been/are in my life-groups, is found at the center of this nugget of gold I’m sharing today, borrowed from the archive of Living Our Days. The prayer comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul and is found in chapter three of Ephesians. – I pray it for all who come upon this post and read the words within – that you may understand that God’s love for us not only passes knowledge; but that it is vast and complete. May you learn to lean into its impossible dimensions and find rest there.
My Prayer for You For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19
The following blog was originally posted on August 9, 2018
Read: Ephesians 2:4-10;Titus 2:11/SOAP: Ephesians.2:8-9 and Titus 2:11
Warning: What you are about to read may be very familiar- please use caution when you are reading. Do not allow your mind to only ‘hear’ “blah, blah, blah, …” Ask God to give you a clear mind and heart to hear it as though for the first time – and with fresh and clear understanding and appreciation.
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
Titus 2:11
Friends, according to Scripture, we were once dead because of our disobedience and our many sins. We used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature, we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God (I love the “but God” statements of the Bible) is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much that even though we were dead because of our sins, he called us out from the grave of sin and shame and placed us in Christ Jesus and put His Spirit in us. He rescued us from the death we deserved and gave us His gift of salvation, rich and free!
Application: Living out the Journey
Salvation is not by works of the past, nor the present, nor the future. It is simply and yet profoundly a gift of God’s marvelous grace. His is a grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, a grace that was poured out on Calvary’s mountain where Jesus was crucified and His blood was spilt. His is a grace that changed everything – setting prisoners free from chains of sin and death – replacing them with life and peace and hope in the promise of forgiveness and eternity with Him! This marvelous grace of our loving Lord opened salvation’s door not just to the Jew but to Gentiles and all who would call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ1.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt
Friends, Grace is a gift, the greatest and most powerfully loving gift we will ever receive. It is a gift to cherish and a gift to share. It is a free gift that can never be lost or taken away, and it is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only are we made right with God (saved/justified) by grace, but we are sanctified (made more like Christ) by grace, and one day, by God’s grace, we will appear with Christ in glory.2
To grow in grace is to mature as a Christian. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), and we mature and are sanctified by grace alone. We know that grace is a blessing that we don’t deserve. It is God’s grace that justifies us, sanctifies us, and eventually glorifies us in heaven. The sanctification process, becoming more like Christ, is synonymous with growing in grace.
gotquestions.org
Peter wrote that we should grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,3 which does not mean that we gain more grace from God but instead that we mature as Christians. Simply put, this means “training ourselves in godliness, which Paul told Timothy is much better than physical training – because it promises benefits in this life and in the life to come4.
So, how can we train for godliness and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ?
It should be noted: “To grow in grace does not mean gaining more grace from God. God’s grace never increases; it is infinite, it cannot be more, and according to the nature of God, it could never be less.”
gotquestions.org.
We grow in grace by a number of Spiritual disciplines, including:
Meditating on and Reading God’s Word – letting it “dwell in us richly” (Colossians 3:16)
to grow in grace is to grow in our understanding of what Jesus did and to grow in our appreciation of the grace we have been given.
The more we learn about Jesus, the more we will appreciate all He has done and the more we appreciate His love and sacrifice for us, the more we will perceive the never-ending grace of God.
Being devoted to prayer (Colossians 4:2) and keeping alert in it… knowing that our enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:7-8)
The more we learn about Jesus, the more we will appreciate all He has done, and the more we appreciate His love and sacrifice for us, the more we will perceive the never-ending grace of God.
gotquestions.org
Prayer of Response to the Journey
Father, thank You for Your grace, the gift of Your Son who brought salvation to all people. By Your grace, Christ justifies us and sanctifies us – and He will one day return, and by His grace we will share in His glory! Help us to grow daily in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and to live out the blessings of Your grace -by showing love, grace, and mercy to all. Help us to do and to say what pleases You – obeying You – not as though we need to win or keep our salvation but simply to please You. For – hallelujah! Our salvation is a gift that can never be earned, lost, or taken away! Oh, how sweet is the reality of this amazing grace! – Amen!
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. 4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.
Romans 6:9
Our focus or question of the week is: “What Did Jesus Do?” – So far, we have answered the question with … He never sinned, He was crucified for our sins, and today’s answer/focus is: He was resurrected from the grave … and appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time. He also appeared to James and to all of the apostles, including Paul.
It would be easy to read these truths, celebrate the resurrection, and move on, but God’s call and my hope/goal of journeying through His Word (and taking others along with me on the journey) is more than just reading the words on the pages of Scripture. My hope is to understand the importance and meaning of the words. I believe that we are to learn how they apply to life and godliness and be able to share them correctly with others in everyday life*, both in conversation and in living and loving like Jesus, who is – as we have seen in recent journeys – the very Word of God.
Paul taught Timothy the importance of this in 2 Timothy 2:15, when he told him, and by extension all believers, to *Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
This is why we need to understand the importance of Jesus’ resurrection and His appearing before so many witnesses: let’s break it down …
He was resurrected from the grave: This, like the other truths we have been looking at, is essential to our faith. Why though? Because if Christ is not raised, then our faith is useless, and we are still guilty of our sins.
Friends, Jesus didn’t just walk out of the tomb – He appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters at one time. He also appeared to James and to all of the apostles, including Paul. It may seem of little importance to know how many different people saw Jesus alive after He had been buried – but it is crucial to the testimony of His resurrection, and Paul knew this. – Bibleref.com explains it like this:
“Apparently, the truthfulness of the resurrection, or at least the resurrection of Christians, was being challenged or misunderstood by some in Corinth. Paul wants them to understand not only that the resurrection really took place, but that faith in that truth is essential in order to be saved.”
Bibleref.com/1 Corinthians 15;5
Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.1
*2 Timothy 2:15
So, the question begs to be asked: “Why is the resurrection important to our faith?” Again, it is Paul who answers this most clearly – when he addresses the Corinthians about the matter in 1 Corinthians 15:12-23, saying:
But tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can’t be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless, and you are still guilty of your sins. 18 In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died.
21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.
1 Corinthians 15:12-23
Prayer of Response to the Journey
Father, We believe in Jesus Christ, that He was given over to death for the sins of many and was raised to life so that those who believe might be born again and made right with You. We believe that on the third day, He rose again, triumphing over sin and death so that we would no longer be slaves to sin but live and walk in freedom with/for You here on this earth and with You forever when You return to take us home. As Paul taught the Corinthians, we believe the truth of His resurrection is of the utmost importance. As Paul shared this message in his travels and writings, may we both celebrate the truth and faithfully pass it on to those in our circles of influence.
The Gospel is the Truth that, according to Scripture we receive and believe; it is the faith on which we stand, the power of God unto salvation, and the message we have been entrusted with and called to share throughout the world. May it be of utmost importance to us, and may we faithfully and boldly pass it on to the world around us. 🦋
In recent days, we’ve walked through Scriptures that have pointed us to the importance of Jesus being sinless and of His death by crucifixion, and have, hopefully, come to understand that we are all sinners in need of a Savior who is blameless of any sin and willing to lay down His life for humanity- so that those who believe might have eternal life.2 If you missed any or all of the journey to this point please visit Firm Foundation
“No one is righteous— not even one. 11 No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. 12 All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.”
Romans 3:10-12
Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin. Romans 3:9
In order to understand the question that is asked in verse nine and subsequently answered by Paul in the rest of the chapter, it is helpful to look back to the preceding verses, in this case, to chapter two of Romans. It is here that Paul points out that in and of itself, being a Jew was not a get-out-of-jail-free card. There were certainly benefits that came with being a Jew,1 but like all other people on the earth, they had inherited the sinfulness of the first man/Adam – and would, like all others, answer to God’s judgment for their sins.
The Jews, while chosen by God, were not to believe they were better than the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were not to think they were lesser than the Jews – for as Paul points out, none of them – “not even one” was righteous. The depravity of man stretches across every race on the earth, and as Paul writes in verses 20 and 22: “No one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law.” Instead, Paul makes it clear that “… the righteousness of God comes only through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ to those who believe.”
Living it out (Application from the Journey)
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved2 – is the most significant takeaway from this passage. However, second to it – in my estimation and understanding both personally and from Scripture. – is that all of us, Jew or Gentile … barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free are sinners in need of a savior and utterly dependent on the mercy and grace of God for salvation.3
In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us (who have believed).
Colossians 3:11 NLT/emphasis mine
Prayer of Response to the Journey
Father, as sinners, condemned unclean, we are all utterly dependent on Your mercy and grace. I rejoice in knowing that You are a gracious and merciful God. I praise You for the Savior, Your Son whom You sent, to make a way where there was no way – opening the door of salvation not only to Your chosen people of Israel but to the Gentiles and all who by faith believe in Jesus Christ! In Him, I am made new, a new creation – the old has gone, the new is here, and in Him, I am free from the law of sin and death – no longer condemned but declared righteous before You in Him – by His blood! Indeed, we have all sinned and fallen short of Your glory, but by faith – we take hold of eternal life, a free gift You have offered to all who believe! Hallelujah and amen!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Philippians 4:4
After reading my morning verse recently, I found myself journaling these words: “Father, You are good. How long ago did You show me this verse? How many years since I sat at my kitchen table reading and rereading it and the verses that followed? How many times and ways since then have you shown me the truth of those verses?”
Sometime in the early nineties, I sat at the table of our newly built home, enjoying the quiet moments of my baby’s nap time. Sometimes, when she slept, I would rest or clean, but most often, I would spend some alone time with God in His Word. As a newly “revived” believer, I was hungry for the Word and eager to build/rebuild a relationship with God.
Today’s verse brought that table and time to mind, as it was there that I first remember beginning to study Philippians 4:4-7, specifically – Paul’s words, “Rejoice in the Lord always. (I will say it again: Rejoice!) 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7Andthe peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – note: while verse eight wasn’t included in my early study, it soon followed and has rescued me from more than one battle.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Philippians 4:8
God seemed to embed those words in my mind that day. Through the three decades that have followed, He has continued to faithfully ingrain them and use the words to help me through many turbulent days/years of this life/world. These words … have taught me to fix my eyes on God and His will … to ‘rejoice’ even when the days are hard, sad, or downright scary. The words helped me develop a relationship with God, teaching me to spend time in prayer, talking to God, not just at Him. From there, I began learning to trust Him, to fix my thoughts on Him, and to experience the promised peace.
To this day, these words of Paul remind me that God is near, that His return is imminent, and that in and with God, I can have, know, and be filled with peace even in the tumultuous storms of this life! God’s peace is truly a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace that gives strength and hope in both the good and challenging seasons; this strength and hope have led me to “re-joy-cing” in God for more than thirty years of my life.
As I read the words again this morning, they were not new to me but they caused my mind to stop and remember God’s goodness so many years ago and every day since to change my life from the inside-out!
“Joy is the flag flying high above the castle of the hear, announcing that the King is in residence there.”
~Unknown
Loving Heavenly Father, my strength and hope are from You and through Christ in me. Your grace and power fill me with the confident JOY to keep going when hope seems far away and sorrows weigh me down. When I am weak, You are strong! So in my sorrow for this world and despite my concerns – please continue to help me KEEP my eyes and thoughts fixed on You – and let the flag of JOY fly high above the castle of my heart – where You rule and reign – announcing to all that You – my God and King – are in residence here!💜 – And to borrow from today’s devotion from “Our Daily Verse,” “May my life be a testament to the unshakable joy found in a relationship with You. Let this joy be my strength, a light to others, and a reflection of Your constant grace in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13. ESV
It’s funny, yet not surprising, how God knows exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it, and He supplies it. Such was the case this morning,as I read from OurDailyVerse.com again. This time, it wasn’t just me that needed to hear it. He knew there was someone in my life who needed to hear not just the verse but this one particular statement: “It’s not about gritting our teeth, but about acknowledging our limitations and allowing His power to course through us.”
These devotionals are typical prayer starters for me in the morning and sometimes at the end of the day. This morning’s flowed something like this:
Father, You are Good. You enable Your people with STRENGTH to live as You have called us to live. Whether in a prison cell like Paul or facing the daily cares and fears and other challenges or enemies of this world – that trap us and “weaken” us — causing us to feel like “we can’t” press on or stand firm in our faith. Yet, we are without excuse, Father, because we are filled with the powerful strength of Christ, our Lord and Savior, who endured death on a cross when He could have called 10 thousand angels to get Him down — and who three days later walked out of the grave! – (did you just say glo-ry hal-le-lu-jah!? I know I did!)
It’s not about gritting our teeth, but about acknowledging our limitations and allowing His power to course through us. This doesn’t erase challenges, but it shifts how we face them, replacing fear with unwavering faith and weakness with His might.
OurDailyVerse / September 17, 2024
Sometimes, Father, the days seem filled with seemingly impossible tasks or demands. Today is one of those days for a friend of mine, and as I was praying for her, I realized that you had already given me the perfect words to encourage her. Even when we think we can’t possibly deal with a problematic/anxiety-spiking problem, Your Word declares that we can do ‘all things through Christ Who gives us strength!‘We cannot do it in our own might or will – but in the STRENGTH of CHRIST! Paul declares that “we have been crucified with Christ.” – He goes on to say that “the life we now live in the flesh we lie by faith in Your Son, who loves us and gave Himself for us.” According to Romans 8:37, We are more than conquerors – NOT by anything we have done or can do or will do but because of what Jesus did for us. The cross was ours to bear, the death was ours to die, But Christ took them for us – He was pierced for our transgressions… He was crushed for our iniquities, and the punishment that brought us peace was placed upon Him – and by His wounds, we are healed – and set free from the chains that had rendered us lost and powerless! And when we belong to Him, His Spirit lives in us, teaching and reminding us of all that Christ taught and giving us strength in our inner being.
that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,1
Ephesians 3:16. ESV
I shared the prayer from the Devo with my friend, and now I am sharing it with all of you. Perhaps you need to hear it today; I encourage you to make it your own and to be strengthened by it. If it isn’t one you need to hear today, I encourage you to tuck it away for a day when life is full of more challenges than you think are possible and need to be reminded – You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you – ❤️
Dear Lord, As I confront the challenges of today, fill me with the strength that comes from You alone. Remind me that I do not face these trials by myself but with Your power within me. Help me to rely on Your strength, not my own, transforming my worries into confidence and my fears into faith.
Guide me through each moment, and let Your peace reign in my heart. Thank You for making me more than a conqueror through Your love and grace.
You, however, be self-controlled in all things, endure hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:5. NET
Have you ever had a friend, mentor, or someone in your life that has not just prodded you to do something, but given you a serious and difficult challenge -one that will change you and potentially others from the inside-out? 🦋 This is what we find on today’s journey. Paul charges Timothy, in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus<<<< that statement right there indicates the seriousness of this charge Paul has given Timothy. Check out the list of what he is asking of Timothy:
Preach the message – whether it is convenient or not
reprove
rebuke
exhort with complete patience and instruction
And then check out the seriousness of the reason:
People will be turning away from theTrue Gospel
They will prefer to listen to and follow those who say what they want to hear and do
They will not only turn away from the Truth but they will turn their minds toward myths/fables
Then the challenge/charge turns personal … Not only is Timothy reprove, rebuke, exhort with patience and instructions and preach the Truth – but he is to:
be self-controlled at all times
“Timothy was to be focused and alert, taking his life and role seriously … He was to be calm, focused, and controlled.” – Bibleref.com 2Timothy4:5
endure hardships
this wasn’t just instruction to merely survive hardships/difficult times but to maintain his Christian character and perspective regardless of what was happening in his life or within the ministry he had been called to
do the work of an evangelist
An evangelist is one who presents/shares the good news of Christ with others. While this is something that Paul particularly charged Timothy with, consider the commission that Christ put before all of His disciples, both past and present:
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:15-16. NET
and stay at the tasks until the mission/ministry has been carried out/fulfilled -no matter the difficulty or temptation to quit
Why was Paul so serious with Timothy and adamant that he stay at the tasks until his “ministry was fulfilled?” – The answer to this seems evident in verses 6-8 where Paul makes it known that his time on this earth was coming to an end. He knew the work had to go on and was making sure that Timothy would continue to carry out the mission even when he was gone. To not do so would leave many vulnerable to the false teachings and turning away from the true, life-giving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Friends, we too must “take up the mantel” that Paul so obviously considered a worthy passion and position in life. Like Timothy we have been charged with being messengers of “The Faith”, which is belief in Jesus Christ. When we come to the end of our life or when Jesus returns to take us home, may we be found faithfully living self-controlled lives, enduring hardships, doing the work of an evangelist, and fulfilling the mission/ministry we have been given. – Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ!
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 NET
The words found in the first chapter of the Psalms teach us that what we do – ie how we spend our time and who we spend it with matters to God and has a direct effect on our lives. As God’s word teaches: obedience brings reward and disobedience, or ungodly living, leads to destruction.
How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers. 2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord’s commands; he meditates on his commands day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts. 4 Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff. 5 For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly. 6 Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.
Psalm 1
Once upon a time, this would have described me. When I was in my early twenties I had veered off the path of true obedience and had turned toward many of the ways of the world. Oh, I was good at playing the game of “Christian” on Sunday and Wednesday but the rest of the week I was just living whichever way the wind of my desires blew. Yet, God, in His goodness met me on the path and turned me back toward Himself- compelling me to ‘follow Him and to walk with Him in all my ways, I am eternally grateful and forever indebted to Him for rescuing me from the wilderness that was leading to sure and certain destruction. I am also grateful to Him for instilling in me the message of Paul to the Philippians – that regardless of what we do or don’t do we are to do everything for God’s glory
“Yet even now,” the Lord says, “return to me with all your heart— with fasting, weeping, and mourning. 13 Tear your hearts, not just your garments.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love—often relenting from calamitous punishment. 14 Who knows? Perhaps he will be compassionate and grant a reprieve, and leave blessing in his wake— a meal offering and a drink offering for you to offer to the Lord your God!
Joel 2:12-14
The Lord warns the people, in Joel chapter two, to “return to Him with all their hearts – with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” He tells them to not just focus on the tearing of their garments but rather to be concerned about their hearts. Joel encourages the people to – “Return to the LORD – for He is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love — often relenting from calamitous punishment.” From the day, somewhere in my mid-twenties, when I began to understand the true depth of my sins and what they deserved – these words, along with the one word that incapsulated them all, GRACE, became some of my very favorite words of the Bible.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and boundless in loyal love—often relenting from calamitous punishment.
Joel 2:13 NLT
Knowing that God allows us to “return” to Him is beautiful in and of itself. However, the knowledge of the depth of His mercy and compassion, of His slowness to become angry, of His boundless love, and the hope of Him relenting from the devastating punishment we rightly deserve – these were the words that drew me back to Him then and continue to draw me to Him now. They are the words that have shaped my heart and mind to live with the attitude that says – whatever I do, I will do it all for God’s glory.
Paul’s words to the Corinthians remind me of the words of Joshua to God’s people long ago – “But if you refuse to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” (Josh 24:15) –
Oh friend, how I pray that today, wherever you are in your relationship with the Lord – that you will heed the words of the Psalmist and of Joel, and of Paul, and of Joshua – and you will choose this day – to do everything you do for the glory of the God who loved you and saved you by His own glory and goodness!
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
If you aren’t yet in a relationship with God or perhaps you need to remember why you were in a relationship with Him – I invite you to read these truths so that you can choose well whether you will serve the gods of this world or the one.true.living God –
Amen
Me From the Inside Out 