October 23

Jeremiah 42:1-44:23, 2 Timothy 2:1-21, Psalm 92:1-93:5, Proverbs 26:3-5 

Pray: Are you a thankful person? Do you naturally pause and acknowledge God’s goodness and His blessings in your life? Psalm 92 is a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving and it begins with this: “It is good to give thanks to the Lord…” So, do that. Give thanks to the Lord for His many blessings.

Read: “I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation…(2 Timothy 2:10). Paul is willing to lay it all on the line, including being chained and imprisoned. Why? What’s so important, so great, so worth all Paul has to endure? It’s the Good News of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! The difference between Paul and us is that Paul actually meant it when he said he would endure “anything.” What’s your limit? Many will endure something for the Gospel, but few will endure “anything.” Is it a financial limit, a time limit, a commitment limit, a preference limit, etc.? We would do well to be more like Paul, limitless, when it comes to furthering the Gospel message!

Edify: Thank God for teachers. I’m not just talking about those in the schools, but teachers…people who know something and they share that knowledge with others. They may know a trade or a skill. Rather than keeping it to themselves, they teach by telling/showing others. I’ve gone to YouTube many times to learn how to fix something on my truck or around the house. 2 Timothy 2 tells us, “You have heard me teach…now [you] teach the truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” Do you teach others what you know/understand about your faith? If not, then why? There’s only one way to make sure nobody knows about the grace of Jesus…for His followers to be silent, and yes, that means you.

Practice: There seems to be a sincerity in their plea that is quite rare. They came to Jeremiah and asked him to pray and seek God’s guidance. Then, radically, they say, “Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord our God…” (Jeremiah 42:6). Wow! That’s the stuff of plaques, wall decals, and sermons. It’s not typical of the average believer. It’s also not true of those who spoke the words. We later find out they refused to listen to the Lord, but chose their own way instead of His. What about you? Do you seek God’s Will? When God speaks, what response will you have, even if you don’t like what He has to say?