SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/23/2024 8:21 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: “Affection”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 1:4
Message of the verse: “longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy.”
I have been looking at different principles for motivation other believers from the open verses in 2 Timothy. Now this fifth principle for motivating other believers, is especially for those who may be discipling, is to love them and to express genuine affection for them. I have to say that in the world we are living in today that this kind of true affection is rarer than in past years as it seems that because we are winding down the church age that people are not nearly as loving as they were even 50 years ago. Now as we look at this verse it can be determined that Paul greatly missed Timothy’s companionship and was longing to see him. MacArthur adds “Longing is from epipotheo, a verb denoting intense desire or yearning for. Later in the letter he reflects the same aching desire, imploring Timothy, ‘Make every effort to come to me soon’ (4:9), and ‘When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus…[and] make
every effort to come before winter’ (vv. 13, 21).”
Paul
then writes that I recall your tears, and perhaps this is referring to their
time of when they last parted, following a brief visit to Ephesus sometime
after writing his first letter to Timothy and before he was arrested at
Nicopolis and then taken prisoner to Rome. As we look at the 20th chapter of
the book of Acts we see that this was the last time that Paul would see the
believers at Ephesus and there were many tears that flowed at that time as he
got on a boat to go to Jerusalem. Let us
look at Acts 20:36-38 to see this firsthand:
“36 When he had said these things, he knelt
down and prayed with them all. 37 And they began to weep aloud and
embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, 38 grieving especially over the word which he had
spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him
to the ship.”
MacArthur concludes this short section by writing “Although
he doubtless realized he might never see Timothy again, even the remote
prospect of such a reunion filled Paul with joy. Knowing the apostle’s deep love and yearning
to see him again surely filled Timothy with joy as well as inspired still
greater commitment to follow in the footsteps of his beloved teacher and
friend.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: It seems to me that in this letter to Timothy
that Paul was actually saying goodbye to him for the last time as he knew that he
would soon be with his Lord and Savior in heaven and this is what caused the
pain of missing him. It is very hard to
say goodbye to a family member when they are about to die, but when that family
member is a believer the goodbye is not forever even though it is always
painful.
My Steps of Faith for Today: I have to trust the Lord to continue to give
me grace in order to defeat the temptations that come from the devil, trusting
that He is not done with me as I continue to do the things that He has called
me to do.
11/23/2024 8:50 AM
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