SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/25/2024 9:15 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
PT-2 “Affirmation”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference:
2 Timothy 1:5
Message of the verse: “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”
I want to finish this section from 2 Timothy in
today’s SD, which will also finish this first chapter from John MacArthur’s
commentary, and then Lord willing I will begin with the introduction of verses
6-18 in the next SD tomorrow.
This verse I am looking at this morning shows that Timothy had a heritage of sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice. Now as Paul gives the references to both Lois and Eunice this shows that Paul had a relationship with these two ladies as MacArthur writes “and perhaps was instrumental, along with Barnabas, in winning them to Christ during his first missionary journey, which had taken him through Timothy’s home area of Galatia (see Acts 13:13-14:21). They probably were Jewish believers under the Old Covenant who immediately received Jesus as their Messiah, Savior, and Lord when they first heard the gospel from the lips of Paul. By the time of Paul’s second journey, the women had led their grandson and son to the Lord, and he already had become ‘well spoken of by the brethren who were in Lystra and Iconium’ (Acts. 16:2). Timothy was Paul’s indirect son in the faith who had come to belief through the witness of his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, who had been led to faith directly by the apostle. Through them, he had ‘from childhood…known the sacred writings which are able to give [him] the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’ (2 Tim. 3:15).”
Now we have a pretty good idea of
Timothy’s background which was a great background for because of it Paul would
be passing on to him the great work of the Lord since Paul would soon be with
the Lord, and as mentioned this was one of the main reasons why Paul is writing
to his son in the faith.
John MacArthur concludes this
section and chapter by writing a story which I will now quote. “Some years ago I was involved in a
discussion regarding the choice of a man to tak up the leadership of a
well-known Christian organization. In
looking over the list of prospects, I commented that it was interesting that
every one of those men had a godly pastor for a father. The Lord has, for course, raised up many
faithful leaders, including Paul from ungodly and even godless families. But a
high percentage of the great men throughout church history have come from godly
homes. Timothy’s father was an
unbeliever Gentile (Acts 16:3), but his mother and grandmother were believers
of great godliness. Paul commends them
for the influence for good they had on Timothy and for the sincere faith that the
apostle was sure to be in Timothy as well.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: I have a
different kind of story in my upbringing as I grew up in the generation that
was called “baby boomers,” and I have to say that both of my parents went
through the great depression of the late 1920’s and it affected them in ways
that would later affect my growing up years.
I don’t know if my father was a believer or not, but I do know that his
growing up years were very difficult as his mother died when he was very young
and then was kicked out of the house by his father. My mother’s family had moved from the
southern part of Ohio to the country that I grew up in and there was some
trouble in her family as well. My
parents took my sisters and me to church, but as I look back the church was not
a church where the gospel was preached.
God was in control of my life and saved me almost 51 years ago and I am
thankful for that as that was the most important thing that happened to me in
my life. God has given me and my wife
two children who are believers and walking with the Lord along with their children
and so I am very thankful for that.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: I have
some needed work to get done around the outside of our house before winter sets
in and it is my desire that the Lord will allow me to get this done as there is
a possibility of rain today. I trust that the Lord will continue to work in
my heart to overcome some issues that I have dealt with for a very long time.
11/25/2024
9:50 AM
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