April 17, 2022 – Last Daily Word
Daily Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New Living Translation) [A thought for thought translation]
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (New American Standard Bible) [A word for word translation]
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Pastor’s Thoughts
Happy Easter my brothers and sisters in Christ!
I apologize about not getting the Daily Word to you all the last few days. The Lord was dealing with me on some things. Nothing nefarious or heinous I assure you.
He was making clear to me that He did not want me to continue these devotionals. Again, nothing bad. He just wanted me to take a step back from writing these daily words.
I wasn’t very excited about discontinuing this, so I argued with Him about it. That was not smart on my end. He won the argument. He knows best. Even when one has good intentions to “serve” the Lord, if He says “no more” then that means “no more.”
So for now, this is it. What is it that I would like to leave you with for the foreseeable future?
This really was not difficult at all. I want to leave you understanding the importance of valuing God’s Word in your life. Let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 broken down.
- All Scripture is inspired by God… God Himself has given us His very Words by the leading of God’s Holy Spirit through mankind. That’s right, the God who all things were created by, saw fit to bless humanity (you and I) with the gift of His written Word. Never forget this as you decide whether or not you will read, study, obey, and share His book.
- and is useful to teach us what is true… The Bible is the foundation of all absolute truth. In other words, we would not know what truth is without God and His Word.
- and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives… The Bible does not just show us what is true, it shows us what is a lie. It uncovers what does and does not belong in our lives.
- It corrects us when we are wrong… The Bible does not only show us what’s wrong. It also convicts us. It does not give us a pass on our sin. It hits us square in the eyes with a decision to make.
- and teaches us to do what is right… The Bible does not point out our imperfections and leave us to figure it out ourselves. That would be cruel. God is not cruel. Neither is His Word. His Word shows us how to fix the sin in our lives through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Through The Bible we see how and where we are to step as we walk through life on this Earth. It’s up to us if we will humble ourselves and submit to His Word in obedience.
- God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work… So many want to do great things for God. The truth is, God does not choose us by our looks, finances, popularity, or skill. He chooses those who are willing to follow Him the furthest. That’s right. Those who are willing. Willing to give up the things of this world to obtain the things of His Heavenly Kingdom. The more we are willing to die to this world and our fleshly desires, the more we will be prepped and equipped to do God’s good work.
What is it that I hope you get out of all of this? Very simple… Never stop reading, studying, obeying, and sharing God’s Word! And do those things for God’s glory, not for your own.
Devotionals and other things are only meant to be helps. They can never and should never take the place of real time in His Word. In fact, devotionals, sermons, and other stuff like that will be more hurtful than helpful if they take the place of you spending time in God’s Word.
I pray that through this time and through this final Daily Word that you will carry on to prioritize His Word in your life for the rest of your life.
What now? For those who know me, you are always welcome to call, text, come by the church, or come by the house and further our brotherhood or sisterhood in Christ. For those who do not know me, you are always welcome to reach out to me through the website or call the church office (850) 227-1306.
I love you all. It was a joy and a privilege to have a small part in so many of your days for God’s glory.
Have a blessed Sunday everyone. I pray that you will prioritize what God’s Word says about you being a part of His local church till your last days. What a privilege it is to not be alone as we serve Him. Have a blessed Easter my brothers and sisters!