Today’s Reading: 1 Timothy 5; 1 Timothy 6; Titus 1; Titus 2; Titus 3
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:24-25
24 The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden.
Observation: Paul is instructing Timothy about how to do the work of a pastor. Here, Paul sends a little hidden message to Timothy. While talking about the inevitability of judgment for sin, Paul slips in a little encouragement. "...good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden." In other words, "Timothy, I know that you probably feel that no one notices most of the good things you do. But take heart, people do notice, even if they don't say anything. And even if they don't notice right away, it will all eventually come to light."
Application: So the message is: keep doing good deeds, even if no one notices. God is paying attention. And you would be surprised who else is also watching. So don't give up. Your good deeds are making a difference that will last forever.
Prayer: Thank You Lord, for this encouraging word. I know You are keeping track and I pray that You would help me not to care or notice whether or not others care or notice. I want to please You and You alone.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
2 comments:
Oh, that we could all get past that need to please those who are NOT God.
The desire for recognition for our "good works" is often our greatest stumbling block. If we don't get it we can become embittered and stop doing them. But then, who were we really ding it for? Our own praise or God's?
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