Title: Pass The Faith (Please) / Topic: Spritual Heritage

My posting was delayed today. I invited anyone to post their own devotional thoughts and Carl made an excellent post. I would love to see more posts like that. Thanks Carl. I hope you feel better.
-- Pastor Mike

Today’s Reading: Joel 1; Joel 2; Joel 3; 2 Timothy 1

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:2, 4-5
2 To Timothy, my dear son... 4 ...I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

Observation: I love the relationship between Paul and Timothy. It has a wonderful winsome quality to it. There is clear affection, appreciation and respect that is mutually shared. And I want to draw attention to verse 5. Timothy was the recipient of a heritage of faith and faithfulness. He had Lois, his grandmother, and his mom, Eunice, of whom Paul traces the roots of Timothy's "sincere faith." What a great blessing it was for Timothy to have a grandmother and mother who were women of faith. And it was also a boon to Paul who was able to take the good deposit of faith that was put into Timothy by these women and develop it with training and further mentoring. What Eunice and Lois started, Paul was able to take to the next level.

Application: The lesson for me is to live faithful and encourage faithfulness in all our lives. Our children and others who watch are witnesses to the reality (or unreality) of God as reflected in how we live. Eunice and Lois lived in such a way that Timothy observed their faith and grew to believe himself.

Bottom line: Keep the faith. But don't stop there. Pass the faith along. The future generations depend on us who are older to burn brightly for the Lord.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the example of Eunice and Lois in the life of Timothy. Help us to likewise live to a standard of excellence in our faith that clearly demonstrates Your wonderful character, and also irresistibly draws others to find and follow You for themselves.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.