THE HOLY BIBLE (The Contemporary English Version – 2 Timothy 5:6-7): 6 …. My life is like a drink offering being poured out on the altar. 7 I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful.
THOUGHTS: I believe that we might want to stop and think about an earthly example to help us apply this heavenly application. Let's imagine for a moment we are being interviewed for a job, not as in a first job scenario, but later in life. The interviewer asks you to summarize your life so far so they could better understand the heart of the man/woman they are considering to bring into their employment. While this will challenge us to think about all of the good things that we've done in our lifetime, in order to promote ourselves for the job being applied for, I believe that we will still give a different response than if we were standing before the Lord and answering the same question. Think carefully about this as you consider your answer before God, Paul declared that his life was like a 'drink offering', a sacrifice, a life surrendered totally to what pleased God and responding in every way to His will and direction. It would truly be a challenge for any of us to come close to saying anything similar to Paul, especially before an all-knowing God, wouldn't it? So then, how do we strive towards that? Well, I believe that this comes from a daily commitment to truly seek God, both in prayer and in the study of His Word; and through a totally committed life to the Master, so that we don't let the ups and downs of this world get to us, weaken us, or cause us to wander off the course charted towards eternity with our Master. Friends, we must live today as for the Master, then when we stand before Him on Judgment Day, we'll have nothing to be ashamed of. Paul proved that this CAN be done. We just need to be as committed as he was!
PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the clear-cut path You have developed for us. Not only have You provided the rule book for us, but You have given us clear instructions in Your Word to help us succeed in our walk here on earth. Please empower us with the will and commitment to honor Your Word, to obey it and allow it to guide us daily in every aspect of life. Lord, I believe that each of Your children would declare allegiance to You, however, please help us to have the will of Paul, so that we may live as a sacrifice to You, allowing Your will to override ours, and Your Word to direct our path each day. With the temptations of this world, I believe that we can only achieve all this under Your complete guidance and with Your all-powerful hand. Please continue to bless and endow us with Your strength each and every day. I ask this believing wholeheartedly in You and depending on You, in the name of Your Son, Jesus, my Lord and Savior, AMEN!
FOOTNOTE: If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com so that we can pray with you and give you help and or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Any words underlined above will indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to blogger.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day's devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, Sebring, FL! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!
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