The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 2 Timothy 2:4-7,
"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."
These instructions to Timothy, I believe, are for all of us. Paul provides Timothy three truths to consider as he asks him to focus on "the gift of God, which is in you though the laying on my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6. It is good for us to contemplate these truths ourselves.
The first is, that if we are going to be productive in doing our part in God's agenda of the redemption of mankind, do not get distracted. If we want to be productive for the Lord's kingdom, we cannot get sidelined by those things that lead us from what we need to be doing for the Lord. Just as a soldier should not get distracted by civilian affairs, so the believer should not allow himself to get distracted by other things. We all know exactly what those distractions are in each of our lives.
Secondly, to be effective, just as the winning athlete is effective, participation in the God's agenda of redemption needs to be done "according to the rules", God's way, not some other way. We may feel we have a better idea, but when we are counseled in the Scriptures as to how to participate in what God is doing, we need to drop our best thoughts to pursue what we are told. Not my way, but God's way.
Third, be aware there is reward in participating in the effort of populating God's kingdom through his program of redemption. If we keep ourselves from being distracted and engage our part according to how the Lord wants us to pursue it, there is reward in it... great reward. Just as the farmer is first to share in the harvest, so we share the benefits that accrue to our successful participation in working together with God as he grows his family, his kingdom.
It is pretty fascinating how the Lord invites us to share in what he is doing, isn't it? Something here to mull over today.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor's crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this."
These instructions to Timothy, I believe, are for all of us. Paul provides Timothy three truths to consider as he asks him to focus on "the gift of God, which is in you though the laying on my hands." 2 Timothy 1:6. It is good for us to contemplate these truths ourselves.
The first is, that if we are going to be productive in doing our part in God's agenda of the redemption of mankind, do not get distracted. If we want to be productive for the Lord's kingdom, we cannot get sidelined by those things that lead us from what we need to be doing for the Lord. Just as a soldier should not get distracted by civilian affairs, so the believer should not allow himself to get distracted by other things. We all know exactly what those distractions are in each of our lives.
Secondly, to be effective, just as the winning athlete is effective, participation in the God's agenda of redemption needs to be done "according to the rules", God's way, not some other way. We may feel we have a better idea, but when we are counseled in the Scriptures as to how to participate in what God is doing, we need to drop our best thoughts to pursue what we are told. Not my way, but God's way.
Third, be aware there is reward in participating in the effort of populating God's kingdom through his program of redemption. If we keep ourselves from being distracted and engage our part according to how the Lord wants us to pursue it, there is reward in it... great reward. Just as the farmer is first to share in the harvest, so we share the benefits that accrue to our successful participation in working together with God as he grows his family, his kingdom.
It is pretty fascinating how the Lord invites us to share in what he is doing, isn't it? Something here to mull over today.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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