Bible League: Living His Word That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.— 2 Timothy 1:12 NLT In the midst of life's trials, sorrows, and stressful situations, it is easy to become overwhelmed by doubt, fear, and uncertainty. If we are honest with ourselves, we surely can agree that at least once in our lifetime, we have questioned the path we are on and wondered if we have the strength to endure. In these moments of doubt, the words of Paul offer us a profound source of encouragement. Paul was no stranger to suffering and hardships. He had faced persecution, stoning, imprisonment, and countless challenges in his mission to spread the Gospel. Yet, in the face of adversity, while in prison, he makes this powerful declaration: "I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return." Paul had an amazing unwavering faith in God. He did not place his confidence in his own abilities or in the circumstances around him. Instead, his faith was firmly anchored in his knowledge of God's character and faithfulness. My wife and I have been married for 32 years now. Time together has enabled us to know each other so well that we can now blindly trust each other with our lives. Paul knew God this way and therefore he was able to boldly proclaim that "he knows the one in whom he trusts". Do you know in whom you trust? He is God Almighty. The one who laid down His own life for you. The one who changes not. The one whose words never fail. The one who has your hair numbered. The one who has you in the palm of His hands. The one who will never leave you nor forsake you. I ask again. Do you know in whom you trust? Paul knew whom he trusted, and therefore, he entrusted his life to Him. Paul was sure that He was able to guard his life until the day of His return. Beloved, I encourage you to know in whom you have believed. Cultivate a close relationship with God through reading His Word, prayer, and seeking His presence. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Paul was not just aware of God's character; he was convinced of God's ability. This trust wasn't based on wishful thinking but on the unshakable truth of God's omnipotence. We too can entrust our lives, dreams, aspirations, sorrows, and everything we hold dear to God's safekeeping. When we surrender our worries, fears, and concerns to Him, we can be confident that He is faithful to fulfill His promises, and He will never let us down. Cast you cares upon Him for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). Paul completes his faith filled sentence with, "until the day of his return." Likewise, let us also keep our eyes fixed on the eternal hope that awaits us, knowing that God's keeping power will sustain us until the end. Today, as you face the trials and uncertainties of life, remember Paul's words and the unshakable faith he had in God. Know who you have believed, be convinced of God's ability to keep you, and entrust your life to Him with unwavering faith. In doing so, you will find the courage and strength to persevere amid earthly challenges and the assurance of a glorious future with Him eternally. By Santosh Chandran, Bible League International staff, New Zealand Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingEzekiel 40 Ezekiel 40 -- New Temple Area: Gates, Courts, Rooms NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading 1 Peter 5 1 Peter 5 -- Elders to Feed Their Flocks; the Young to Obey NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.Insight How was Jesus made perfect through suffering? Jesus' suffering made him a perfect leader, or pioneer, of our salvation. Jesus did not need to suffer for his own salvation, because he was God in human form. His perfect obedience (which led him down the road of suffering) demonstrates that he was the complete sacrifice for us. Through suffering, Jesus completed the work necessary for our own salvation. Challenge Our suffering can make us more sensitive servants of God. People who have known pain are able to reach out with compassion to others who hurt. If you have suffered, ask God how your experience can be used to help others. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 3 John 1:3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.The truth was in Gaius, and Gaius walked in the truth. If the first had not been the case, the second could never have occurred; and if the second could not be said of him the first would have been a mere pretence. Truth must enter into the soul, penetrate and saturate it, or else it is of no value. Doctrines held as a matter of creed are like bread in the hand, which ministers no nourishment to the frame; but doctrine accepted by the heart, is as food digested, which, by assimilation, sustains and builds up the body. In us truth must be a living force, an active energy, an indwelling reality, a part of the woof and warp of our being. If it be in us, we cannot henceforth part with it. A man may lose his garments or his limbs, but his inward parts are vital, and cannot be torn away without absolute loss of life. A Christian can die, but he cannot deny the truth. Now it is a rule of nature that the inward affects the outward, as light shines from the centre of the lantern through the glass: when, therefore, the truth is kindled within, its brightness soon beams forth in the outward life and conversation. It is said that the food of certain worms colours the cocoons of silk which they spin: and just so the nutriment upon which a man's inward nature lives gives a tinge to every word and deed proceeding from him. To walk in the truth, imports a life of integrity, holiness, faithfulness, and simplicity--the natural product of those principles of truth which the gospel teaches, and which the Spirit of God enables us to receive. We may judge of the secrets of the soul by their manifestation in the man's conversation. Be it ours today, O gracious Spirit, to be ruled and governed by thy divine authority, so that nothing false or sinful may reign in our hearts, lest it extend its malignant influence to our daily walk among men. Daily Light on the Daily Path James 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. 2 Peter 1:5-10 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, • and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, • and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. • For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. • For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. • Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; Ephesians 2:8,9 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; • not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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