Daily Scripture
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:1-8
daily Devotion
The Bible never said that following Christ would be easy. From the very beginning, Jesus said “If you’re going to follow me, you must deny yourself. Take up your cross daily and follow me.” In today’s verses, we see the reality of this as Paul is writing his final letter to Timothy, while enduring his second imprisonment in Rome. Paul knows the end of his time is near, and you can hear the urgency in his voice as he charges Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; always be sober-minded and endure suffering.” Even down to his last moments on earth, Paul is encouraging others to follow Christ and keep the faith.
We are all at different places in our walk with Christ. Whether you are a pastor that has many years of studying the Bible and following Christ, or a new believer just starting your journey, there is one thing for certain. No one is exempt from trials and suffering as we follow Jesus in a fallen world. And because of this, we all need help and encouragement along the way. As we go through our week, I encourage you to hold fast to the truths we see in God’s Word and encourage others around you to do the same. We were never meant to walk this journey alone, and God has given us brothers and sisters in faith to lean on and encourage through difficult times. Go out of your way this week to lift someone up that might be discouraged or hurting by pointing them to the promises our Savior has given us.
Brice Alumbaugh