2 Timothy 4-Titus 1: I Need the Support of God and Men
One of my all time favorite stories is of a little boy who cried out in the middle of a stormy night. His mother came to check on him and he pleaded with her to stay in the bed with him for comfort.
“Oh, honey, you know I need to sleep with Daddy.”
“But, Mommy, I’m scared.”
“There’s no need to be scared, sweetheart. You know that God is here with you.”
“Yeah, I know, but sometimes I need someone with skin on.”
That describes me. I know God is with me, but I also need someone with skin on. Sometimes I feel a bit unspiritual for saying that. But today I read II Timothy 4:9-18. In the past, I simply noticed Paul’s great faith in God. Even though everyone abandoned him, God was still with him and God would deliver him. Clearly, Paul had a great faith in God.
However, in this reading I noticed something else. Even with this great faith in the presence and deliverance from God, Paul was asking Timothy to hurry up and come to him and bring John Mark because all these people had been abandoning him.
Do you see it? Paul had great faith in God. He was able to endure his imprisonment alone because he knew God was with him. But he also needed someone with skin on. He needed the encouragement that came from like-minded people who could edify and uplift him. In fact, I think we see that relying on God means relying on His people.
The take away for me is keep praying, keep relying on God. At the same time, keep bringing brethren around me who will also encourage and strengthen. It’s okay to need and want someone with skin on.
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
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What is Going On Here?
I’m so glad you dropped by “Give Attention to Reading,” a blog dedicated to reading and discussing God’s word, the Bible.
This blog is not about pushing our favorite doctrines. It is not about debate (though I’m sure at times we might get some good discussion going). It is just about promoting the reading of Scripture. It is about reading it with a view to learning something each day.
This blog is driven by my book of the same title. I figured out if we read two chapters of the New Testament each week day, we can read the whole New Testament in exactly six months. My book provides a note page for each day of reading with a section of very simple questions to devote your mind to the text and some thought questions to help you take the study as deep as you want it. It also contains a weekly group discussion guide if you would like to take this journey with some friends.
Whether you get the book or not, this blog provides a spot for us to discuss how the Word has hit us. I hope you will join me each weekday and read the New Testament together. Each day, I will blog about how the day’s reading struck me. Usually, I will pick out some part of the reading that impacted me in a special way. Feel free to comment about my thoughts or share with other Bible readers some part of the day’s reading that really resonated with you. When we are all sharing how the Word impacts us, we will all grow together.
If you want to maximize your experience, you can purchase my “Give Attention to Reading” book at Streamside Supplies.
May God richly bless you as you draw closer to Him.
More importantly, may you richly bless God.
P.S. I am currently working on a version for the Old Testament. Hopefully, by the time we are done with our present trek through the New Testament, we will be ready for the Old.
