May 8, 2010 (Job 10-23)

Job continues to dialog with his friends about his situation. Because I know the "behind the scenes" story, I kind of dismiss what his friends say (they are saying it's because of his sins that he is being punished). So Job dialogs back and forth, lamenting the futility of life, but then makes the following statement:

²⁵ “But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
²⁶ And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
²⁷ I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Job goes on to talk of the seeming futility of living a godly life, when he looks at the lives of 'the wicked'.

^21:7 “Why do the wicked prosper,
growing old and powerful?
⁸ They live to see their children grow up and settle down,
and they enjoy their grandchildren.
⁹ Their homes are safe from every fear,
and God does not punish them.
¹⁰ Their bulls never fail to breed.
Their cows bear calves and never miscarry.
¹¹ They let their children frisk about like lambs.
Their little ones skip and dance.
¹² They sing with tambourine and harp.
They celebrate to the sound of the flute.
¹³ They spend their days in prosperity,
then go down to the grave in peace.
¹⁴ And yet they say to God, ‘Go away.
We want no part of you and your ways.
¹⁵ Who is the Almighty, and why should we obey him?
What good will it do us to pray?’
¹⁶ (They think their prosperity is of their own doing,
but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)

¹⁷ “Yet the light of the wicked never seems to be extinguished.
Do they ever have trouble?
Does God distribute sorrows to them in anger?
¹⁸ Are they driven before the wind like straw?
Are they carried away by the storm like chaff?
Not at all!

It reminds me of the Psalms and Asaph says basically the same thing:

^{Psalm 73:16} When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me

¹⁷ till I entered the sanctuary of God;

then I understood their final destiny.

But regardless of what Job knows to be true of God, it still did not mitigate the pain he was going through. Even a man with the integrity of Job succumbed to feelings of utter despair in his journey:

¹⁰ “But he knows where I am going.
And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
¹¹ For I have stayed on God’s paths;
I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
¹² I have not departed from his commands,
but have treasured his words more than daily food.
¹³ But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
Whatever he wants to do, he does.
¹⁴ So he will do to me whatever he has planned.
He controls my destiny.
¹⁵ No wonder I am so terrified in his presence.
When I think of it, terror grips me.
¹⁶ God has made me sick at heart;
the Almighty has terrified me.
¹⁷ Darkness is all around me;
thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

This is a good reminder that no matter what we go through, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. Job was begging for a mediator that would stand in the gap between him and God. He didn't have one - but we do.

May 7, 2010 (Job 1-9)

Job - this is one of those books that gives you a glimpse into things that happen in the spiritual realm. First of all though, we see that Job "was blameless, a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil." And to top that off, he had 10 children and was extremely rich. The first thing that caught my attention was that when Job's children had birthdays they had celebrations that lasted for days. When they were over Job would "purify his children". It says he would get up early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them, just in case they sinned and cursed God in their hearts. It was a reminder to me of how important my prayers are for my son.

But here's where things get 'dicey'. This gives us a glimpse as to what happens in heaven:

1:⁶ One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the Lord, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them. ⁷ “Where have you come from?” the Lord asked Satan.

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been patrolling the earth, watching everything that’s going on.”

⁸ Then the Lord asked Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.”

⁹ Satan replied to the Lord, “Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. ¹⁰ You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! ¹¹But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!”

¹² “All right, you may test him,” the Lord said to Satan. “Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don’t harm him physically.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.

The thing that 'bothers' me is that God allowed Satan to wipe out everything Job had to 'test' him. God knew of his integrity, and knew He could trust him, but it still bothers me. And He was right. When Job lost everything, here is what he said:

^1:20 Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. ²¹ He said,

“I came naked from my mother’s womb,
and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had,
and the Lord has taken it away.
Praise the name of the Lord!”

²² In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Next, the same thing happens, only this time God allows Satan to harm Job physically with boils from head to foot. And this time we hear from Job's wonderful wife, the person that Satan didn't take. He probably knew that would be more of a blessing than a curse based upon how she responds:

^2:8 Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. ⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.”

¹⁰ But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.

Next Job's friends try to console him, but they basically say that he must have sinned and is just getting what he deserves. It's so easy to sit in judgement over others.

¹⁴ “One should be kind to a fainting friend,
but you accuse me without the slightest fear of the Almighty.

Even though Job is struggling tremendously, he knows that God is God, as as such can do whatever He wants.

9:¹ Then Job spoke again:

² “Yes, I know all this is true in principle.
But how can a person be declared innocent in God’s sight?
³ If someone wanted to take God to court,
would it be possible to answer him even once in a thousand times?
⁴ For God is so wise and so mighty.
Who has ever challenged him successfully?

⁵ “Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
⁶ He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
⁷ If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
⁸ He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
⁹ He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
¹⁰ He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.

¹¹ “Yet when he comes near, I cannot see him.
When he moves by, I do not see him go.
¹² If he snatches someone in death, who can stop him?
Who dares to ask, ‘What are you doing?’
¹³ And God does not restrain his anger.
Even the monsters of the sea are crushed beneath his feet.

¹⁴ “So who am I, that I should try to answer God
or even reason with him?
¹⁵ Even if I were right, I would have no defense.
I could only plead for mercy.
¹⁶ And even if I summoned him and he responded,
I’m not sure he would listen to me.
¹⁷ For he attacks me with a storm
and repeatedly wounds me without cause.
¹⁸ He will not let me catch my breath,
but fills me instead with bitter sorrows.
¹⁹ If it’s a question of strength, he’s the strong one.
If it’s a matter of justice, who dares to summon him to court?
²⁰ Though I am innocent, my own mouth would pronounce me guilty.
Though I am blameless, it would prove me wicked.

And then Job asks for something that God would indeed give - a mediator - Jesus.

³² “God is not a mortal like me,
so I cannot argue with him or take him to trial.
³³ If only there were a mediator between us,
someone who could bring us together.
³⁴ The mediator could make God stop beating me,
and I would no longer live in terror of his punishment.
³⁵ Then I could speak to him without fear,
but I cannot do that in my own strength.

May 6, 2010 (Genesis 1-11)

Back to the beginning - and this is always a reminder that from the very beginning we blamed our sin on someone else. Adam blamed Eve AND God (it was the woman YOU gave me), and Eve blamed the serpent. It's much easier that way - to not assume responsibility. But healing only begins when we 'confess and forsake'. God's mercies are new every morning. We have the choice to accept those mercies, or live in the past.

And then, as part of the curse, we women will always struggle with 'being the boss of our husbands'. But he 'is to be our master'. But as Paul points out to us later, 'husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church'. How did Christ love the church? By sacrificing His life for her. So it all comes back to the fact that if we live as God intended us to, putting others before ourselves, allowing the Holy Spirit to control our lives, there will be unity. And apart from a daily submission to His will and His Spirit, we have nothing to look forward to but strife. Simple but hard.

As I read about the struggles of Cain and Able, I thought about the struggles of parenting. Our children make wrong choices and then get mad at us when we respond to those choices. Here is how God addressed Cain's "temper tantrum":

^4:6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? ⁷ You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

Obedience. It's a common theme throughout the Bible. If you do what is right, if you obey, you will be accepted. But if not, sin will control you. But we have a responsibility to 'subdue it and be it's master'. Again, Paul talks of this in Romans, saying we are a slave to whatever controls us. A slave of obedience unto righteousness, or a slave of sin unto death.

As I read this next section I thought of our day and age. It seems things have gone back to the way they were in the beginning:

^6:5 The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. ⁶ So the Lord was sorry he had ever made them and put them on the earth. It broke his heart. ⁷ And the Lord said, “I will wipe this human race I have created from the face of the earth. Yes, and I will destroy every living thing—all the people, the large animals, the small animals that scurry along the ground, and even the birds of the sky. I am sorry I ever made them.” ⁸ But Noah found favor with the Lord.

And why did Noah find favor with God?

⁹ This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time. He consistently followed God's will and enjoyed a close relationship with him.

How do we find favor with God? By consistently following His will and walking in obedience to Him. In describing what Noah did in building the ark, three times it says "So Noah did exactly as the Lord had commanded him." Obedience. Listening to God and obeying Him. Noah must have had the privilege of hearing God speak to him personally, but today is no different for us. Even though we don't normally hear an "audible" voice, He truly speaks to us from His word. What do I want for my life? I want a close relationship with God. Which means the best I know how I need to closely follow His will and live in obedience to Him.

May 5, 2010 (Wrap up!)

Well, I looked at my last blog - April 29 and it was Hebrews. Today is May 5th and I've finished reading through the whole Bible in six months (read 2 Timothy, Jude, 2 Peter, 1, 2 3 John and Revelation since then....finished two days ahead of schedule..started November 7, 2009). Because I didn't blog daily, I'm not going to go back now. This is just a 'wake up' to blog daily from now on.

It seems the overarching message I got from these last books is to be ready for Christ's return. He IS coming back to judge the earth. These are His own words from Revelation:

^16:15 “Look, I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for me, who keep their robes ready so they will not have to walk around naked and ashamed.”

^22:7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book.”

¹² “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.”

And the book of Revelation ends this way:

²⁰ He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!”

Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!

²¹ May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.

And again, I am challenged and convicted by what I have read. I don't know if we are truly living in 'the last days', but regardless, we are responsible for the way we live. There are rewards for those who live in anticipation of His coming - whether that coming is in our lifetime or the next - it doesn't really matter. What He wants is faithfulness - faithfulness to Him and to His word. And how can we be faithful to Him and His word if we don't know Him? I am challenged to read through the Bible again in these next six months, but this time I am also going to work on memorizing. That does not come easy for me, but I will need to work on it. I can take a note card with me as I walk the dog and work on verses that way.

This is what will happen at the end of time:

The Final Judgment

^20:11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. ¹² I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴ Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Do I really believe that? I mean do I REALLY believe that? Then why am I so silent about my faith? God help me to be more bold for You.

April 29, 2010 (Hebrews 1-13)

I'm not going to go back and blog each day separately - I'll combine all into this one day and comment on the two main ideas, mostly from today's reading - those being 'faith' and us being 'foreigners'. The writer has this verse as the segway into the 'faith' description:

^10:35 Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! ³⁶ Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

³⁷ “For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
³⁸ And my righteous ones will live by faith.
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”

³⁹ But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.

And then he goes about to tell us what faith is and describe all those who lived their lives by faith. He said that faith 'is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.' And then he gives us the following verse:

^11:6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

And then I was struck by the fact that all these 'faithful' ones lived as they did because they had their eyes on heaven and not on this earth. That seemed to be one of the main themes from these last books. If and when my life ever slows down, I want to go back and do a study on this aspect. But here are the verses from Hebrews 11-13 dealing with this:

¹⁰ Abraham did this because he was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

¹³ All these faithful ones died without receiving what God had promised them, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed the promises of God. They agreed that they were no more than foreigners and nomads here on earth. ¹⁴ And obviously people who talk like that are looking forward to a country they can call their own. ¹⁵ If they had meant the country they came from, they would have found a way to go back. ¹⁶ But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a heavenly city for them.

²⁴ It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward God would give him.

^12:25 Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! ²⁶ When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.” ²⁷ This means that the things on earth will be shaken, so that only eternal things will be left.

²⁸ Since we are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be destroyed, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a devouring fire.

^13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to our city in heaven, which is yet to come.

¹⁵ With Jesus' help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name. ¹⁶ Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have with those in need, for such sacrifices are very pleasing to God.

Then going back to the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of Chapter 12 the writer reminds us that those that went before us are waiting for us to finish the race. How are we running? Are we focused on the finish line, or are we looking around at the scenery as we pass and taking 'rabbit trails of diversion'?

^11:39 All these people we have mentioned received God's approval because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. ⁴⁰ For God had far better things in mind for us that would also benefit them, for they can't receive the prize at the end of the race until we finish the race.

^12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. ² We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor beside God’s throne in heaven. ³ Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. ⁴ After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

⁵ And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said,

“My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and don’t give up when he corrects you.
⁶ For the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

⁷ As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? ⁸ If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. ⁹ Since we respected our earthly fathers who disciplined us, shouldn’t we submit even more to the discipline of the Father of our spirits, and live forever?

¹⁰ For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

¹² So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs. ¹³ Mark out a straight path for your feet. Then those who follow you, though they are weak and lame, will not stumble and fall but will become strong.

And then his closing verses:

²⁰ Now may the God of peace—who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, all that is pleasing to him. Jesus is the great Shepherd of the sheep by an everlasting covenant, signed with his blood. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen.

April 26, 2010 (I Peter 1-5)

I Peter is one of my favorite books. In it, he exhorts us to remember we are foreigners down here. He reminds us how to live because we are new creatures in Christ. He reminds us that the end is coming soon. And even though the end didn't come in Peter's time, it was to motivate the way he lived. I think of it as in school, when the assignment is that a paper is due in three weeks. Because our natural tendancy is to procrasitnate, we won't work on that paper until it's a week out if we're really good, or a couple of days out if we're mediocre, or the night before if we love waiting until the last minute. I think that's why in Scripture, over and over, we're told that "our redemption draws nigh". We're told that Jesus will come back like a thief in the night when no one is watching. And that is why Jesus told us there would be a special reward for those that were anxiously watching and waiting for His return - living life every minute for Him and anticipating that He could come back today. That is why Scripture is so important. The writers say "I'm writing to remind you of this, even though you know it". We need to continually be in God's word to be continally reminded of the way He wants us to live.

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, ⁴ and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. ⁵ And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

⁶ So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. ⁷ These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

⁸ You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. ⁹ The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

¹³ So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. ¹⁴ So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. ¹⁵ But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

¹⁷ And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” ¹⁸ For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. ¹⁹ It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ²⁰ God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

²³ For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. ²⁴ As the Scriptures say,

“People are like grass;
their beauty is like a flower in the field.
The grass withers and the flower fades.
²⁵ But the word of the Lord remains forever.”

And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

^2:1 So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

¹¹ Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. ¹² Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.

^3:22 Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

^4:7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. ⁸ Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.

¹⁰ God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. ¹¹ Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

^5:2 Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³ Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. ⁴ And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

⁵ In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for

“God opposes the proud
but favors the humble.”

⁶ So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷ Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

¹⁰ In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹ All power to him forever! Amen.

April 25, 2010 (I Timothy 1-6, Titus 1-3)

Paul is writing to Timothy, a young man he led to Christ. And here he tells us the purpose of his instruction:

^1:5 The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

Do we want to be filled with love? It comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and genuine faith. Later in the first chapter he tells Timothy to cling tightly to his faith in Christ, and always keep his conscience clear. He points that some have violated their consciences and as a result their faith has been shipwrecked.

Do you want to know what pleases God?

^2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. ² Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. ³ This is good and pleases God our Savior, ⁴ who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. ⁵ For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. ⁶ He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

It's kind of hard for me to be thankful for some of the leaders that we have, but that is what we are instructed to do.

I've heard the following verse often, but was struck by the fact that the second sentence gives credence to the first.

¹² Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Then he exhorts Timothy to work hard. Maybe even back then, before the internet and video games, it was hard for youth to focus:

¹³ Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them.

¹⁴ Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. ¹⁶ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.

And then, Paul's final encouragment:

¹¹ But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses. ¹³ And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate, ¹⁴ that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. ¹⁵ For at just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. ¹⁶ He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen.

¹⁷ Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. ¹⁹ By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

²⁰ Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. ²¹ Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness.

May God’s grace be with you all.