October 21

Jeremiah 37:1-38:28, 1 Timothy 6:1-21, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 25:28 

Pray: Gracious Lord, I have many things to do this week. Bills need to be paid, a dental check-up, an oil change in my car and many other things. Father, I pray that You will be with me as I do all of these things. More importantly, I ask that You show me what plans You have prepared for me. May it be that I don’t put my plans ahead of Yours, Lord. You know what is best for me, Father, and I love You! Amen.

Read: 1 Timothy 6:11-14 says, “ But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.  Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.  And I charge you before God, who gives life to all, and before Christ Jesus, who gave a good testimony before Pontius Pilate,  that you obey this command without wavering. Then no one can find fault with you from now until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” 

Now place your name where Timothy’s is in verse 11. These words are for you today. These are our marching orders for each day until the Lord Jesus returns. As followers of Christ and sons and daughters of God, we are called to fight the good fight and stand up against all evil forces that may come against us. These words were written to empower us as we wait on the Lord.

Edify: Paul uses active and forceful verbs to describe the Christian life: run, pursue, fight, hold tightly. Some think that Christianity is a passive religion that advocates waiting for God to act. In truth, Christianity is a active faith, obeying God with courage and doing what is right. Is it time for action on your part? Have you been a passive spectator in your Christian life? The time for action is now! Get going!

Practice: Where in your religious life have you been passive? Is your prayer life stagnant? Have you fallen behind in your Scripture reading and study? Are you relying on someone else to tell you what the Bible says or are you actively pursuing a deeper understanding of who God is through Scripture?  Take an inventory today of your spiritual war chest… How sharp are your weapons? Do your blades need to be sharpened for spiritual warfare? Be proactive and not reactive.