Tuesday Reading: 2 Timothy 1 1-5
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1 5
5 taking recollection of the unfeigned faith that is in you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and in your mother Eunice. And I am persuaded that it is in you also.
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1 5
5 taking recollection of the unfeigned faith that is in you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and in your mother Eunice. And I am persuaded that it is in you also.
Devotion:
Showing someone how much you care for them through how you speak to them (or write a letter as is in this case) is something very special. Paul’s letter to Timothy has a wonderful greeting and a sincere blessing. But today I want to look at his last comment in this section of passage where Paul tells Timothy that he would much rather be with him than have to send this letter. How often have you talked to someone over the telephone or written a letter and expressed how much you would rather be there with them than on the other end of the communication? When we know the joy that we will have when we are with that person, it is hard to cover up how much you would rather be there.
Showing someone how much you care for them through how you speak to them (or write a letter as is in this case) is something very special. Paul’s letter to Timothy has a wonderful greeting and a sincere blessing. But today I want to look at his last comment in this section of passage where Paul tells Timothy that he would much rather be with him than have to send this letter. How often have you talked to someone over the telephone or written a letter and expressed how much you would rather be there with them than on the other end of the communication? When we know the joy that we will have when we are with that person, it is hard to cover up how much you would rather be there.
Paul’s joy would be to be able to be with Timothy so that he can share in his faith. Paul was going through a lot of troubles and, I believe, longed to be away from the Romans just for a short while; to be with someone whose faith was solid. Being able to be away from your troubles and be somewhere where you can recharge your batteries is a requirement in our lives. We often think that it would be nice to get away from it all, but it is only when we do that we realise just how much things around us to pull us down.
Paul had some very special memories to call upon so that he could escape from his troubles and bonds. He had obviously learned how great a faith Timothy’s family had and expressly remembers his grandmother and his mother, both being mentioned by name. He knew that Timothy was in a place where his faith could grow because he was with other faithful believers. How he must have longed for places like that when he was faced with unbelieving Romans. We do need to be close to other faithful believers in order to strengthen our faith. But central to our faith must be our Bibles, God’s Word, from which we learn such things.
Points to Ponder:
How often do you get away from people to be with Christians?
How often do you get away from people to be with Christians?
How often do you take to reading God’s Word?