Moments With God

II Timothy 4:1-8

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." II Timothy 4:6-8

Paul was nearing the end of his life. In I Timothy and II Timothy Paul was instructing Timothy, his "true son in the faith." (I Timothy 1:2a) It was Paul's' desire that Timothy would carry on the work of the Lord. Paul said to Timothy in II Timothy 4:2, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction." Paul wanted Timothy to be ready to speak and apply God's Word in any and every situation. It was also Paul's prayer for Timothy that Timothy would remain firm in his faith. Paul told Timothy to keep his "head in all situations" and to be willing to "endure hardship" for the cause of Christ. (II Timothy 4:5a) This was Paul's desire for Timothy, but it was also God's desire and will for Timothy. It is also God's will for our lives today.

Paul went on to say in II Timothy 4:6-8, "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."

Paul had willingly "poured out " his life for the Lord. Jesus Christ was number One in Paul's life. Jesus Christ and his service to Him was Paul's consuming passion and purpose in his life. Can we say the same? Is Christ our consuming passion and purpose for our lives? Is our personal love relationship with the Lord and our obedience to Him our purpose and priority in our lives? Are we willing to be "poured out" for our Lord? At the end of Paul's life he could say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (II Timothy 4:7) Will we be able to say the same at the end of our lives? Have we truly run the race and kept the faith in a way that is pleasing to the Lord? Have we sought to keep our eyes focused on the Lord and to not be distracted by the world's distractions?

Paul knew as he approached the end of his life that there was a "crown of righteousness" in store for him. (II Timothy 4:8a) Because we belong to the Lord, we experience His joy even in this life. Because sin is still present in the world and in our lives, however; we also face many trials and struggles in this life. We must struggle to run and finish the race of life in a way that is pleasing to the Lord in spite of the many obstacles and trials of life. We do this with the Holy Spirit's help and strength, but we must be the runners in the race of life. We as the children of God long "for His appearing." (II Timothy 4:8b) We long for Christ's second coming. Then we will receive His "crown of righteousness" given to us as His gift of grace! Then, at last we will be completely free from the presence of sin and its effects in our lives. Revelation 7:16-17 promises us, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Praise the Lord for those precious promises! Let us run the race of life faithfully and in manner that is pleasing to the Lord!

II Timothy 3:14-17

Have you ever bought a new product that had to be hand assembled after you brought it home? Some people might be tempted to try to assemble the new product without looking at the instruction book. Usually, however, one is better served and more successful; if one reads the instructions first. The Bible is God's instruction book to His children. The Bible is God's instruction book for living our lives successfully and joyfully before the Lord. The Bible is God's instruction book on how to live our lives for the glory of the Lord. Also only in God's Holy Word can we learn of God's love and His awesome salvation. In II Timothy 3:15b Paul said to Timothy, "you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." Further, only in the Scriptures are we able to learn about God's commands, His awesome promises to us, and how we can we grow spiritually.

II Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." All of God's Holy Word is "God-breathed" or spoken by the living God Himself! God used many men over a period of approximately 1500 years to write down His Word from Genesis to Revelation. The books of the Bible often show the personalities of the writers whom God set apart to write these books. These writers, however, were all directed and inspired by the Holy Spirit. II Peter 1:21 tells us, "For prophecy never had it's origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." Hence, God's Holy Word is God-breathed and spoken by God Himself!

Since "Scripture is God-breathed," it is "useful for teaching." It teaches us all we need to know about God and about living for Him. Scripture is also useful for "rebuking" and "correcting." Rebuking tells us when we are off the mark. It shows us what in our lives is displeasing to the Lord and needs to be changed. The Lord's rebuking of our sins through His Holy Word convicts us of our sins. The Lord's rebuking of our sins through His Holy Word makes us see the necessity of repenting from our sins and turning to the Lord. Correction gets us back on the mark. God's Holy Word shows us how to correct what is wrong and displeasing to the Lord in our lives. Finally, Scripture is useful and profitable for "training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 16b-17) God's Holy Word trains us to become more and more conformed to God's will in our every thought, action, and attitude. God's Holy Word trains us and instructs us in God's standard for practical holiness and godliness in our lives. God's Word trains and instructs us to be "thoroughly equipped" to live for the glory of God in everything we do and say.

God's Word is only useful and profitable to us; if we read and study it, however. We also need to do more than read and study it. We need to seek to obey God's Holy Word. Timothy had learned about God's Holy Word from his mother and grandmother while he was still very young. Later he needed to read, study and obey God's Holy Word for himself. We also must be diligent about reading and studying God's Word. We must be diligent about meditating and thinking about God's Word, and we must be diligent about applying it to our lives.

II Timothy 1 and 2

"be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." II Timothy 2:1b

Praise God for His grace which saved us from our sins! God's grace or His gift of salvation to us is entirely because of His love and mercy. We do not earn or contribute to our salvation. We are saved, however, for a purpose. That purpose is to bring glory and honor to the Lord. That purpose is to live holy lives for the Lord. As children of God we have His Holy Spirit in our lives to give us the strength and ability to live for the Lord's glory. It is our choice, however, to avail ourselves of the Holy Spirit's power and to live holy lives. II Timothy 2:1b tells us to "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:13b tells us to live holy lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to "put to death the misdeeds of the body."

We live holy lives for the Lord by giving every area of our lives to the Lord. This includes our time, talents, and gifts. It also includes our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. God wishes to change our characters to be more like Jesus. Furthermore, God wants us to live lives that are strong and in His power. He also wants us to live holy lives of love and self-discipline. II Timothy 1:7 says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

II Timothy 2:3-6 reminds us that we must live holy lives of self-discipline like soldiers, athletes, and farmers. Soldiers are under the strict authority of their commanding officers. Soldiers are expected to be obedient to their commanding officers, and they desire to please them. Athletes also must be self-disciplined, and they must keep their eye on the goal. They too must follow the rules of their sport. Farmers are diligent and hardworking; and they, as well as soldiers and athletes, will be rewarded for their hard work. So we also must desire to live self-disciplined lives that are obedient in all things to the Lord. It should be our consuming passion to serve and please the Lord. We must keep our eyes focused on the goal which is Jesus Christ Himself. We must be diligent in serving the Lord. It must become our consuming passion to bring glory and honor to the Lord.

II Timothy 2:15 also reminds us that we need to be a "workman who does not need to be ashamed." We must avoid everything in our lives that is displeasing to our Lord. "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." (II Timothy 2:19b) Instead we must seek to be "an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work." (II Timothy 2:21b) It must be our deepest desire to "pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (II Timothy 2:22b)

Just as we are saved by the grace of God, the Lord also gives us His grace to live for Him. He sends us His Holy Spirit to give us the strength to live holy lives for His glory. We have to choose to avail ourselves of that strength, and live holy lives for the Lord. May this become our consuming passion! II Timothy 2:12a tells us that "if we endure, we will also reign with Him." Faithfully living our lives in holiness and for God's glory brings us blessings and rewards for now and for eternity!

God meets us in our suffering, trials, and troubles in this life. God does not immediately provide quick fixes for all our troubles, but He is continually with us working out His purposes in our lives. He accomplishes His good in our lives over time and in the particulars of our individual circumstances. He is busy about changing us into people who more closely reflect the Lord Jesus Christ.

In suffering God is purposefully speaking to us. In His Word He has told us all we need to know about life and death issues. He has told us that we belong to Him for time and eternity. He has told us that He is our refuge in the suffering and trials of life. God uses significant struggles in our lives to teach us that we are totally dependent on Him. He wants to break us of the illusion of self-sufficiency and independence.

God does not want us to react to suffering with cynicism or anger against God. God also does not expect us to stoically grit our teeth, and move forward as if nothing painful is happening in our lives. Suffering by definition is hurtful and disruptive to our lives. God does desire that we not become so absorbed in our own fearful thoughts and emotions and voices in our head that we do not hear His voice, however. God says to us, " I am your eternal God, and I will always be with you. I will strengthen you and give you everything you need to bear up under this trial in your life. I will cause you to persevere and will uphold you by My almighty hand."

God speaks to us in suffering and tells us that suffering is never for nothing. He tell us that He is always with us and that our suffering is for a purpose. He tells us that He is actively bringing His good out of the sufferings in our lives. The Lord God tells us that He Himself calls us into the deep sufferings of our lives, but He also tells us that He puts limits on the sorrows He allows in our lives. Finally, He tells us that through the trials of our lives He is slowly changing us to become more like Him.

Through suffering the Lord God desires to get rid of the sin in our lives which cripples us and to replace it with fearless courage and endurance. Fearless courage and endurance will carry us on in spite of the trials and stresses of life. This fearless courage and endurance comes as a result of knowing we have absolutely no strength in ourselves but also from knowing that our Lord has always promised to be with us and be our strength. Through experiencing suffering the Lord also hopes to fill us with wise love for others. Only if we have experienced suffering can we offer love and wise counsel to others who are going through difficult times.

God also speaks to us in our sufferings and tells us that He will be faithful to us and love us to the end of our lives on this earth. He will never fail us! We can count on that glorious promise! He will see us through all our significant suffering. He will be with us all the way.

Instead of saying, "Why Me?" when suffering arrives in our lives we should be willing to say, "Why not me?" We must be willing to be a light in this dark world by our Christ-like endurance in the face of suffering. We must be willing to be sanctified by suffering. We must be willing to demonstrate the power of God in our lives by our weakness. Finally, we must be willing to show by our suffering that Hope is found only in the Lord Jesus. The pain of suffering is deep and dark. There is no help or hope except in the Lord, but the Lord is our a real and eternal hope. His promises are sure, and He will always be with us. Our lives at times may contain significant suffering along the way, but we have the certainty of a glorious and eternal "happy ending" in Christ to our life story. Paul says in Romans 8:18, " I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Suffering or difficult trials in our life are often a time for reflection in our lives. We ask ourselves what is the purpose for these difficult times in our lives. God is all-powerful. Therefore, He could choose to prevent any hard times and suffering in the lives of His children. God does not prevent all suffering in the lives of His children, however. Thus we know that many good gifts come from our Lord God because of suffering. My husband and I have been going through some of these difficult times. A little over a year ago my husband was diagnosed with a serious neurological disease. This past summer I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Also my husband may be at risk for loosing his job soon due to a layoff at his place of work. Because of all these circumstances in our lives this writer has begun to do extensive reading about the good gifts which come from suffering in our lives. I would like to share a few of the insights I have begun to learn about the topic of suffering. Many of these ideas come from a book called Suffering and the Sovereignty of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor.

Everything in creation exists for the sole purpose of displaying the glory of God. The glory of God is most clearly shown in the manifestation of his grace to His children. This grace is shown in our salvation from sin. It is also seen in the comfort and strength He gives us during difficult times in our lives. Therefore, God is often glorified through our sufferings. Further, suffering deepens and tests our faith. In the process we grow in holiness. Self-reliance and our passion for the things of this world are diminished, and we begin to place our hope and confidence in the Lord alone (Romans 5:3-4) Suffering on this earth also increases the eternal rewards we will receive in heaven. ( Check out II Corinthians 4:16-18 and Romans 8:18!) Because suffering draws us closer to the Lord it helps us enjoy His glory more both on earth and in eternity!

When God's people persevere in faith while suffering they also are used by God to increase the passion and courage of other believers. When believers see persevering faith in the lives of their fellow believers who are suffering, it helps to inspire their own faith and to remove apathy and fear from their lives. Also the Christ-like suffering of God's people makes unbelievers more open to the Gospel.

Finally, the supremacy, sufficiency, and power of our Lord Jesus Christ is most clearly seen through suffering. This is because suffering is God's means of stripping us of all self-reliance and making us wholly reliant on the Lord. (II Corinthians 1:9) Suffering and difficult trials joyfully and patiently accepted by God's people shows God's glory more clearly than our praise and worship. Suffering and difficult trials joyfully and patiently accepted by God's people further shows God's glory more clearly than our thanks for His gifts in our lives. This is because God is more interested in our love and passion for Him than our thanks for His gifts to us. The Lord wants us to concentrate on the preciousness of His person more than on His gifts. Suffering makes us concentrate on whom is important, namely our Lord Jesus. Suffering actually adds joy to our lives, because it helps us to put our hope in things above and in our Savior alone. It diminishes our tendency to trust for our security in the things of this world. Suffering makes us realize that the Lord's love and faithfulness is a million times better than anything that this earth has to offer. It makes us realize that The Lord's love in our lives is better than life itself! "But rejoice that you may participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed." (I Peter 4:13)

I Timothy 6:6-21

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." I Timothy 6:6-8

Contentment is not often seen in people today. We are bombarded with messages that tell us we deserve it all, and we deserve it right now. All of us enjoy having a nice home and having a neat and attractive appearance, but that is not where joy lies. Material things only give temporary satisfaction. Christ provides eternal satisfaction. God wants us to be content and thankful with what He has given us. He wants us to use what He has given us with a thankful heart for His glory and to be a blessing to others. That does not mean we can not be used by God to help change things in the world; but we must have a patient, content, and joyful heart.

Lack of contentment leads to lack of joy. Lack of contentment also leads to greed. Lack of contentment can further lead to self-reliance instead of relying on the Lord. We need to pursue a thankful and content attitude. I Timothy 6:11b says we must "pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness" I Timothy 6:12a goes on to say that we must "fight the good fight of the faith." We must have a conscious awareness of the living presence of the Lord in our lives, and we must be joyful and content with what He has given us. We must use all we have for His glory.

As Christians we do not have any reason not to be content. Our blessings as Christians are satisfying, rich, and overflowing! Think about some of the Lord's blessings. We are chosen by Him, (Colossians 3:12) and He loves and saves us. (John 3:16). We are also protected and shielded by the Lord, (I Peter 1:5) He comforts us, (II Corinthians 1:4) and He provides for all our needs. (II Corinthians 9:8) Most importantly, one day He will return; and we will be with Him forever! Even if we lose all of our worldly possessions and everything we hold dear in this world, we still have the Lord in our lives. Having nice things is enjoyable, but they will all pass away someday. Only the Lord can provide lasting joy and contentment. We are commanded to be content where God has placed us and with the things He has given us in this life.

On the refrigerator in my kitchen is a magnet with the word "joy" on it. Below the word "joy" is a verse from the book of Habakkuk in the Old Testament. Habakkuk 3:17-18 says the following, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Paul in Philippians 4:11b-12 expresses a similar sentiment. Paul says, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well feed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

Are we able to make this same confession with our mouths and our lives as Paul and Habakkuk made with their mouths and their lives? Contentment is possible only when we realize that we do not deserve God’s grace and His love. Then we can delight in His blessings and find joy in the blessings that He gives us! Contentment leads to great joy!