2 Timothy 1:7

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 1:7 

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7       

The apostle Paul is writing to Timothy, a young man called to work within the Church in Ephesus.  “To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.” 1 Timothy 1:2-4.  Paul left him there to instruct certain men not to teach heresy. 

In the writing of the second letter, Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain strong and resolute in his faith.  “I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”  He grew up in a family of faith, both with his mother Eunice and Grandmother Lois.  Paul knew Timothy had sincere faith, however, as a young man it appears there were things that held him back.  He had some reluctance , no doubt due to the message he was giving to the men regarding false teachings and the feedback he must have received.  Paul though tells him, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6. He must have felt some reluctance in declaring this message, however, Paul tells him to stir up once again the gift of God.  And this gift from God was the Spirit of God. 

Now, Paul goes on to declare that this gift was not a spirit of timidity or fear.  There was no reason to experience this because the Holy Spirit would grant him the power to encounter foes and dangers, as well as to combat those who no doubt came against him as he was fulfilling the calling Paul gave him to declare to those in Ephesus regarding not teaching false doctrine.  He was not to back down, but through the power of God working in him, he was to declare boldly the truth to all, even those who did not want to hear what he was saying.  And also, the Spirit would aid him in doing all this in love.  John explains this in 1 John, where he states, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18.  There is no fear in love, actually, true love casts out fear.  If Timothy truly loves God, which he does, this love  will cast out fear because He will protect him and be there in whatever he is called to do. And the Spirit will guide him such that he will be shown how to do all with discretion and wisdom. 

Now, this promise was not just for Timothy, but it is for us as well.  We must be bold and declare the truth, correcting where necessary, doing the work of the Lord through the power of God’s Spirit, not being timid but with love, declaring the truth.  Paul suffered much during his ministry, but in boldness, preached Christ wherever he went.  We may feel reluctance as Timothy did, but we also must apply the same words that Paul spoke to Timothy.  We must kindle afresh the gift of God in our lives and allow Him to do His work in us.  For as Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

2 Timothy 2:11

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 2:11 

“It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;” – 2 Timothy 2:11  

This past week, I have been in the little town of Puyallup, Washington where I was making preparations for the burial of my mother who passed away on January 28th around midnight.  She had developed pneumonia in both her lungs and was unable to fight it off.  I left early on the 29th arriving at my hotel around 9:30 PM Pacific time.  There was a lot to do. I had to go to the funeral home several times and the cemetery to work out what was needed in order to prepare for the actual burial, then visit the assisted living facility where she lived for several years to retrieve anything that would be of value for the family.  There was not much left, for my mom had already given away everything she had, except for several personal items and any pertinent paperwork.   

I already knew she was going downhill, but did not expect her to pass so quickly, so when I received the call from my Aunt, it did take me by surprise.  I will say this past week was difficult. Along with the sadness of losing my mother, the area has changed so much since my last trip there in 1994.  I will admit I got lost several times, and if it was not for the map app on my phone, it would have been much worse.  And what with the three-hour difference, I did not sleep as much as I needed.  But God was gracious as He always is.  After everything was done, and I was able to finally rest, I was taken out to lunch on Sunday by an old friend from High School who I had not seen in forty-five years.  He saw my post on a social media site and contacted me.  After lunch, he and his wife invited me over to their house to watch the Super Bowl.  I really needed this down time.  He is a graduate from a Lutheran seminary, and we spent hours discussing theology and philosophy, something we absolutely love to do, and it felt so good to just relax and focus on God and His scriptures.

Now that I am back and I have caught up on my sleep, God brought this focus verse to my mind and comforted me with these words.  Paul is in essence saying that if we die as a true Christian, we will not remain dead, but we will live with Christ for ever with no end.  And looking at the next verse, “If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; ” 2 Timothy 2:12.  If we live our life totally devoted to Him, then we will also reign with Him.  However, if we do not, if we compromise, then He will deny us for our compromising in our Christian walk is a type of denial of Him, for we are not totally devoted to Him. 

I know my mother loved God and was a Christian.  She was a very difficult person in the later years of her life, but I attribute this to her never getting over the death of my dad.  She did read her Bible and pray every day.  When I called her, she would always make references to God at least once during our conversation.  I know this is not all we are to do, but with her physical and mental issues, that told me she still had faith in Christ.  And therefore, I believe she, as our focus verse says, will also live with Him, and I shall see her again. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.