SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/20/2025 9:34 AM
My Worship Time
Focus: “Introduction
to 2 Timothy 2:8-13”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Timothy
2:8-13
Message of the verses: “8 Remember Jesus
Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for
which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not
imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those
who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus and with it eternal glory. 11 It is a trustworthy
statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 If we
endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for
He cannot deny Himself.”
Today I begin a new section from the book of 2
Timothy. I have been studying the Bible
for a long time and I know that many years earlier that I studied the book of 2
Timothy, but after spending one week less than five years studying the book of
Matthew I did not know where to go next and then after praying about it I
believed that the Lord directed my path to 2 Timothy and I can say that I have
been learning a lot from it, knowing that this was the last epistle that Paul
wrote, and it seems to me that he was passing on the ministry he had to
Timothy, but there are several problems that Paul knew that Timothy had and in
this letter he is trying to correct them.
Now in correcting the problems that Timothy had believers today who have
similar problems can learn from Paul’s writing to Timothy. I think that this is why the Lord directed me
to this letter as I too have some similar problems that Timothy had. I suppose the difference is that I am about
47 years older than Timothy was when Paul wrote this letter to him, but it is
never too late to learn from God’s Word, even though it steps on your toes from
time to time.
I
am going to quote now from the introduction that John MacArthur writes here, at
least the first part where he writes about the prophet Jeremiah and then Lord
willing, will look at more of his introduction in the next SD.
“Jeremiah
was far and away the most godly man of his day.
But he is a poor advertisement for the contemporary prosperity gospel.” Now remember this statement as I believe
MacArthur will write more about it later on.
“During most of his earthly life, his godliness brought greater and
greater ridicule and persecution, ending, as tradition has it, by merciless
stoning. He was born into a priestly
family but was called to be a prophet, the most persecuted prophet in the Old
Testament. He refused to compromise God’s
truth, and for that faithfulness suffered what might be called a lifelong martyrdom. Yet he continued yearning for the salvation for
his people, praying, ‘Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of
tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my
people (Jer. 9:1).
“After
years of opposition and torment, Jeremiah cried out in bewilderment to
God: ‘Righteous art Thou, O Lord, that I
would plead my case with Thee; indeed I would discuss matters of justice with
Thee: Why has the way of the wicked prospered?
Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease?’ (Jer. 12:1).
Patience with his ungodly countrymen was exhausted, and he now begged
God to ‘drag them off like sheep for the slaughter and set them apart for a day
of carnage!’ (v. 3). He also lost
patience with God asking, ‘How long is the land to mourn and the vegetation of
the countryside to wither? For the
wickedness of those who dwell in it, animals and birds have been snatched away,
because men have said, ‘He [God} will not see our later ending’’ (Jer. 12:4).”
“God’s
response was not what Jeremiah, and most of us, would have expected. ‘If you have run with footmen and they have
tired you out,’ the Lord asked His prophet, ‘then how can you compete with
horses?’ (v.5). God told Jeremiah, in effect, ‘Your suffering for Me has just begun. You are just learning to endure.” Instead of being offered sympathy, he was
called to have courage and strength.”
Now
you will have to remember what I have written in this SD to understand what I
will write, Lord willing, in the next SD as I then move on to look at the
admonition Paul gave to Timothy when I begin the next SD.
Spiritual
meaning for my life today: One of the things that I have prayed long and
hard about is the problem that I have and have had with my digestive system as
it causes me to miss out on many things that I would like to do in life. I believe, and I mean that is my belief that
the Lord is using this issue to keep me closer to Him. I am now taking a series of new supplements
to help me with this issue and it is my prayer that the Lord will use them to
help make this problem better.
My
Steps of Faith for Today: Trust the Lord no matter how these
supplements work. I realize that all
believers have problems that the Lord uses to keep them close to Him.
1/20/2025 10:10 AM
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