Reading your Bible for Today September 1

September 1: 2 Timothy 2:1-5

KJV Key Verse: 2 Timothy 2:3
3 Thou therefore endure hardness , as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 

Devotion:
There are many people who firmly believe if they become a Christian their lives will all be changed to run smoothly from then on. Well, sadly, it just does not work like that! We still have to live in the same world as everyone else, and hence will face the same events which everyone else is facing – there is no way we can get away from an earthquake when everyone else around us is experiencing it!

But it's not just the big things in life like natural disasters, it’s all the small things we have to face as individuals. We may think we suddenly deserve to have those small trials taken away from us – we may think we should not have to face them alone any more... The good news is that we don't have to face them alone because Christ is always with us – the bad news is some of those things will continue to happen just like they have been unless we ask that Christ to change them or help us to change.

Imagine what it would be like not to have to worry about any financial matter anymore? Would you still be as cautious as ever with every penny, or would you become lax in your financial dealings? I would certainly find myself in the latter category, becoming lax with my money; I know because I have been there when I was earning a lot of money. God does not want us to ever become lax in anything in our lives. He wants to make sure we are good stewards of everything He provides for us – including money.

What good would an army be if they never had to face any difficulties in any of their training? They would probably collapse in a heap at the first hardship they faced on the field – they would certainly not know how to mount a coordinated attack when the enemy responded with violence! What good would we be if we never had to face up to any difficulties? You may say “but I would never face any difficulties”, but what about the people around you? When they got into difficulties, you would not know how to help them face their own difficulties... It's not just about what we face, but how we can help others face things as well.

Points to Ponder:
Do you think you are “hard done by”?

Asking for help is often the most difficult first step.