Reading your Bible for Today March 24

March 24: 2 Timothy 1:6-7

KJV Key Verse: 2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Devotion:
When Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, he wrote it whilst in prison, probably in Rome. But even though he was in prison, he writes words of great encouragement to try and make sure Timothy does not get despondent about his problems, but faces them knowing that he has got God on his side! He encourages Timothy to stir up his gift from God; what gift? God gives each one the gift of eternal life and allows the Holy Spirit to indwell us to guide us. So long as we do listen to that guidance we will do things right. But if we really want to be able to live for God, then we have to make sure we also do things such as reading His Word, going to church and bible studies. By doing these things we are learning more and more about God and will be more prepared for any of the hard times which we may face ahead.

The more we do read about God, the more we will realise that He is not the one who puts fear into our hearts. That fear comes from the things in earth around us, the people who flout the law, the people who work against God. The more we read and learn about God, the more we will realise nothing can or will defeat God because He alone is all-powerful. He alone is able to give us a share of that power when we need it most. He alone is faithful and just to deliver on those promises He makes; it’s a trust thing He wants to build up inside us.

Each one of those promises will show love, the true Christian brotherly love we need to show to others. Each one of those promises will be delivered in the best possible way and the best possible time. If we look back on the promises of God, we will see how each has been done to His perfect timing. It may not have been done to the liking of the person asking for help but has been done in a better way to show that God does know best and His love ensures that what we get from Him is only the best! He will allow us to understand things when we need to and explain those understandings to others so they too will be greatly encouraged by His perfect love.

Points to Ponder:
Do you turn your back on friends and family when they ask for help?

God will never turn His back on anyone who loves Him!