Be Still and Know Daily Bible Devotion

2 Timothy 3:1-2
You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money.
The last days are often spoken about in the Bible, and they refer to the period in which we now live: the age of the Spirit. In the prophecy of Joel, we hear God saying that in the last days he would pour out his Spirit, and Peter declared that this was being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). It is interesting that at the heart of Paul’s description of this challenging period was the destructive effect of money.
Jesus often reflected on the significance of money, and it is important to emphasise that there is nothing inherently evil about it. Money is ultimately part of God’s creation and, in common with all his gifts, what matters is how we handle it. When it is used well, it can be an incredible blessing, but when it is abused, it can be a complete curse. Paul’s declaration that people would love only themselves and their money is terrifying because it deliberately pushes God out. When God is removed from life, the most terrible things inevitably result – relationships are torn apart and society is on a certain path to disintegration. The verses that follow give a frightening description of that. Paul declares that people “will be unloving and unforgiving, they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, puffed up with pride and love pleasure rather than God” (2 Timothy 3: 3-4).
The punchline of this passage is the scariest part: Paul says that people will act religiously, “but they will reject the power that could make them godly” (2 Timothy 3:5). Attending church, singing hymns and songs and praying to God will not, by themselves, change us. It is possible to be fully involved in church activities and yet live in a way that is opposed to God. What matters is that we are driven by a love for God before anything else. That needs to the driving force for all that we think, say and do.
Question
Paul described people in the last days as lovers of themselves and money. Is that an accurate description of people today?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to always love you before anything else. Amen

2 Timothy 2:25-26
Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap.
It’s not easy to speak with those who oppose you. Many people in that position are likely to be forceful and strident in their tone. They want to win their arguments and convince their opponents that they are absolutely wrong. However, Paul urged his young friend Timothy to be gentle as he confronted his many opponents, simply because the gentle approach is always the godly way. Trying to batter people down with our arguments might feel good, but it’s not the way of the Spirit. Paul knew that through gentleness the opponents might change their minds and learn the truth.
Gentleness is a difficult word to handle because it might sound like weakness and softness, but true gentleness is strong and determined as well as gracious, kind and loving. Reading these verses reminds me of my most effective teachers. They were all very clear about the facts and what they believed, but they shared their learning with such kindness and gentleness that they also taught me about how to live.
What impresses me here is that Timothy is being encouraged to engage with his opponents. I fear that we often keep away from people of other religions and philosophies. When was the last time you or your church asked for a meeting with people from your local mosque, Hindu temple or synagogue? It is so important for us to have conversations with people who are totally opposed to Christianity, and, as we do so, we need to remember that our approach should always be gentle.
Question
Do you regularly meet with people who oppose your Christian faith? If not, how do you think this could be arranged?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me to love those who are opposed to my Christian faith and to always speak to them with grace and gentleness. Amen

2 Timothy 2:24
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach and be patient with difficult people.
Every Christian is a servant of the Lord, but in this verse Paul is particularly thinking of the responsibilities of church leaders. Clearly, they cannot serve the Lord if they are prone to pick quarrels, but more than that, they need to be kind to everyone. Kindness reflects the nature of Jesus. This doesn’t mean that church leaders should avoid debating with opponents or that they should side-step difficult situations – far from it. Church leaders are called to face the toughest of challenges but to do so with gentleness, warmth and kindness.
Being patient with difficult people has always been a fundamental requirement of church leaders. When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he referred to them suffering fools gladly (2 Corinthians 11:19). I once heard it said that our calling is not merely to suffer fools gladly but to enjoy them enormously! Every community will include people who are challenging, and in our more honest moments, we might recognise that we ourselves can be awkward and difficult at times. We all approach life differently. Some are eager to keep everything the same as it has always been, and others are uneasy if things stay the same from one week to the next. Some enjoy traditional hymns, and others prefer songs that have been written within the last couple of years. Some are unhappy if things aren’t exactly the way they want them to be, and others are not that bothered. Leading any group of people is challenging, so every church leader must have a huge amount of patience.
We all need to be constantly kind and patient, but in church leadership this is tested to the limit. For many years, I have been involved in the selection of ministers and amid the many qualifications and requirements, I believe that kindness and patience are close to the top of the list.
Question
What would help you to become more patient with difficult people?
Prayer
Lord God, thank you for the church leaders who serve me. Fill them with your Spirit so that they will teach well and exercise their ministry with kindness and patience to all. Amen

2 Timothy 2:20-21
In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honourable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.
Here, Paul is describing the Church. It is made up of very different people who have a wide variety of roles. Paul’s concern was that Timothy should live in a state of constant readiness for whatever the Lord might want him to do, but this would only be possible if he kept himself pure.
Paul had his eyes wide open to the challenges that Timothy would face as a young leader in a non-Christian – largely anti-Christian – society. He knew that Timothy would be tempted each day to compromise and to slip back into godless ways. Paul would say exactly the same to leaders today. Our society is driven by a lust for money, sex and power in just the same way as Roman society was. It is expressed in completely different ways, but the challenge to keep pure is as vital today as it was then. The devil does an amazing job at making purity sound dull and joyless, because the truth is the exact opposite. Purity is the route to living life to the full, and Paul was eager that Timothy shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best.
Paul’s prime desire for Timothy was that he should always be ready to do what the Lord wanted him to, and I have no doubt that this is our greatest desire too. We want our lives to count for something. We want to do things that will be a lasting blessing. To use Paul’s language, we want to be like a household utensil that is ready to be used. We need to work hard to ensure each day that we stay clean in a polluted society which will try every day to make us mucky.
Question
What do you do each day to help you to stay clean?
Prayer
Lord God, help me to live so close to you that I will always be available for you to use. Amen

2 Timothy 2:15-16
Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth. Avoid worthless, foolish talk that only leads to more godless behaviour.
It’s always a pleasure to see a good worker. They may be an accountant, a cleaner, a lawyer or a shop-worker, but the moment you see them at work, you know they are fully committed to the task. However, it is very easy to be less than that. Laziness can be a temptation in any walk of life, and that includes Christian teachers. They might look for shortcuts or offer their teaching without being properly prepared with prayer and careful study. Paul urges his friend Timothy to ensure that this never happens to him. He needs to give his best so that he will never be ashamed of his teaching work. That will only happen if he is self-disciplined and has a determination to be the best for the Lord.
Paul knew only too well that words can be a great blessing but also a curse. In verse 14, he urged Timothy to remind people that they shouldn’t fight over words. He said that such arguments were useless and can lead to disaster. The word he actually used is catastrophe, which literally means ‘turning upside down’ – the complete opposite of what a teacher should be doing. Foolish talk is deeply damaging. In Greek, Paul describes it as being like gangrene, which may start in a small way but can quickly lead to death if not treated.
It is easy to have a very casual attitude towards Christian teaching, as though it is a harmless hobby that some people like to pursue. Paul would vigorously disagree with such a view. For him, it was a matter of life and death, and I believe we need to make sure that good teaching has a central place in church life.
Question
Can you think of any illustrations of foolish talk?
Prayer
Lord God, I pray for those who have the awesome responsibility of Christian teaching. May they stay very close to you and know your guidance and strength. Amen