BibleJournal.net

Legacy Living

Who are some of your family or friends that have left a legacy with you? Who are you leaving one with now?

We have had many beautiful, inspiring, God-centered posts on legacies. As I look back at some of these timely pieces I wanted to highlight a few allowing us to reflect and use for future encouragement. Here they are: Nothing New Under the Sun , But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord , Penalty Power and Promise, Ordinary People, Chasing the Wind, Foundation in Christ, Heart Right with God, Influence, and My Father, a Glimpse into Our Heavenly Father.

These heart-touching, faith inspired posts encourage, fill you with joy, and give you a reminder of the opportunity we have everyday to leave a legacy. Paul leaves a legacy of a person who was transformed by God’s grace. Paul models actions instructed by God, he shares His words of wisdom, love, and faith instructing Timothy and us through God’s word.

While reading today’s reading of 2 Timothy 1 I think about the legacy being made by Paul and Timothy. I also reflect on the legacy left by Timothy’s family that filled into him. 2 Timothy 1:3-5. Where some of us may have testimonies of coming to faith based on extraordinary circumstances like Paul. Others may have been filled into at a young age in believing homes like Timothy. Either way it is all good. God is good!

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

These verses bring me to a personal examination, What kind of faith am I leaving for our succeeding generations I’m around daily? What do my actions, words, and character show? Keep the Faith! Our consistent, sincere, Jesus modeled focused faith leaves imprints on others. These reminders and influences can be read in all the posts listed above. Despite our imperfections, live out the faith we believe in God.

8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,

So some reminders as we listen to Paul’s final letter. Abide in our faith at all times. Like BJ said on Sunday, put on Gods armor so when good and bad circumstances happen we know how to respond. Ephesians 6:10-18 Remember the promised faith that is centered on God. James 3:17 He holds our yesterday, today, and tomorrow in His hands. Now, I know there’s no guarantees in parenting, we can model, love on, and try to do all the things we can to influence our children. It may not work. But, I know there is a guarantee in God. Titus 1:2 He has a perfectly designed plan through it all. Keep the faith! Lead, Learn, and Live out a legacy of Love for all those around you. Your legacy is a life that is telling itself in the living.

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

Keep and share the promise of life in Jesus Christ today.

Pray through Psalm 121 as you enter into your day.

2 Timothy-Paul’s Final Words

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:6

Today we welcome the second book of Timothy. Here we read Paul’s last words of encouragement and advice from his jail cell before he is executed. Biblical scholars date Paul’s second letter to Timothy between 66 and 67 AD. He was convicted of being a follower of Jesus and sat alone in a Roman prison writing out his final words of wisdom. As I studied this time in Paul’s life, I wondered whether Timothy received his letter in Ephesus before or after Paul’s death. I imagine Timothy reading and rereading the letter, the great weight of responsibility resting squarely on his shoulders. He opens the letter tenderly,

“To Timothy, my beloved child…” 2 Timothy 1:2

What follows is a rich tapestry of wisdom, advice and encouragement. As I consider both the author and the recipient, I’m aware that there has never been another person like Paul. He shows us his vulnerability and his loneliness in this letter. It’s clear that he has surrendered and uses his imprisonment and impending execution as an example of obedience and faith in Jesus Christ. His words are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit. In this final letter to Timothy, Paul outlines four main tenants for leading in Christian service:

Be Bold
- Paul encourages Timothy to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit he has been given to both preach and teach
- He reminds Timothy that there will be opposition and that he must persevere without guilt or shame
Stay Faithful
- Paul anticipates his martyrdom and uses it as a powerful example of loyalty
- Paul speaks of endurance and diligence, he reminds us that God will give us strength to remain steadfast in the face of evil
Preaching and Teaching
- Paul encourages Timothy to carry the burden of truth and train others in preaching the doctrines of Christianity
False Teachings
- Finally, Paul warns Timothy that there will be false teachers. He implores Timothy to correct, rebuke and finally encourage those teachers to preach sound doctrine.

Just as we cherish the final words, the handwritten notes and photos of a loved one that has passed, so can we cherish Paul’s final words to Timothy. I’m looking forward to studying these chapters with you this week and exploring how our community is not so different from the Ephesian community in 67 AD. May God bless us as we commit to being in the word with Him this week!

Fight The Good Fight

Today’s Reading: 1 Timothy 6

Not too long ago, I scheduled Friday evening walk-thru to discuss some problems a customer was having with his house. It was the only time he had available. Not surprising, this busy executive was running late. When finally he walked into the house, I greeted him with a handshake and a big smile, expecting him to unload on me about the busy and tumultuous week that he has had. Cautiously, I asked, “did you have a good day?” His response was one that I will never forget. He said, simply and authentically, “I fought the good fight.” What an interesting comment! Since that conversation, I’ve stopped thinking about my days as good, or bad. Instead, at the end of my day, or week, I remind myself that I am fighting the good fight. Paul gives us some interesting feedback today about the good fight. He uses four words to outline how we do it.

Flee – (v11) to escape, shun, run away from

From what in your day, or week did you flee? Or, maybe you did not flee when you should have. Perhaps, there s something in your life this very moment that you need to flee.

Pursue – (v11) to run swiftly in order to catch something, to seek after eagerly, earnestly attempt to acquire

What are you pursuing in your life? Are you full throttle in your career? For what purpose? Maybe its money, or is it power? In this passage, Paul is encouraging us to pursue faith and only faith. That means running after God, earnestly and swiftly. The goal is to catch him!

Fight – (v12) struggle, strive, to contend with an adversary

No, it will not be easy. Things won’t go our way. It will often feel as if someone is fighting against you. The good news is that we have been given amazing tools for this battle. Ephesians 6:10-18 describes how God protects us. He gives us “full armor” so that we can stand firm. Additionally, He wants us to fight hard against our adversary with his sword of truth.

Take Hold – (v12) take possession, attain, seize

God does not want us to wait until the battle is over. He wants us to claim the prize, now! Don’t forget, he already won the war. He sent his only son to die on the cross (1 John 2:12-14). Its time to stake our claim.

Father, thank you for simple ways to better understand your Truth. Give us wisdom today to see clearly what we are pursuing. Provide us with the courage we need to flee from temptations. Resolve in our hearts a desire for you that enables us to fight. We trust in your armor to help us stand firm. Today, Lord, victory is yours. Not even death can overcome it.

My Father, A Glimpse Into Our Heavenly Father

Today’s reading is 1 Timothy 5.

Please forgive me, as this is the 2^nd writing in a row about my family. My family is far from perfect to say the least like all families, but I could not help but think of my Dad when reading this passage. This chapter specifically talks about the treatment of widows in 1 Timothy 5:3 and family 1 Timothy 5:8. For much of the last 15 or so years my Dad has cared for widows. Two of his aunts, who were my Grandfather’s sisters, were widows with no children who lived alone for many years and then transitioned into an assisted living facility and then eventually a nursing home. They have now both passed. My Dad picked them up for church each Sunday, insisted they come to every holiday, and even made sure they had a corsage like all the other women at church on Mother’s Day so they didn’t feel left out. Not only did he care for their physical needs and managed their finances, but most importantly, he cared about the way they felt about themselves. He cared about their dignity. I can’t help but think of how proud my Grandpa must have been of my Dad looking down from Heaven and seeing his son care for his sisters who had no one else.

It doesn’t stop there though. My Grandma, my Dad’s mother-in-law, was also in the nursing home with dementia at and around the same time. My Dad would stop by mid-morning each day to pick up and drop off her laundry and check in to see how she was doing. Even though she didn’t know who he was and wouldn’t have noticed if he didn’t come by or that her glasses were dirty, he would stop by just to bring a smile to her face and to clean her glasses every day. I know how great this made my Mom feel seeing the love her husband had for her own Mom. I can only hope that I can make him and my wife Shannon that proud someday. Now, my Dad cares for a widow who has no living relatives and is in need of someone to help her after her sister passed. I heard someone once say you can tell the character and quality of a person by how they treat someone who can give them nothing in return. Come to think of it..isn’t that what God did for us when he sent Jesus to die on the cross for us? He gave us something we could never repay Him for and something he didn’t need to do. He wanted to do it though. 1 John 4:16 says, “God is love…” We will never be perfect and that is why we need Jesus. But, we are called to be a shadow of his image for others to see His love through our lives and actions.

I’m wrapping up my 17th unbelievable Annual Meeting in Milwaukee for my company, Northwestern Mutual, and I had the chance to hear Wheaton College legendary football coach Michael Swider speak for the second time in my life. If you ever have a chance to hear him..go! He has me crying and wanting to run through a brick wall for God, my family, and those I lead every time I hear him. He said, “Your reputation is what others think about you. Your character is what God and the angels know.” 1 Timothy 5:25 says, “So also good works are conspicuous and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.” Coach Swider said we all will have a meeting with God someday. We just don’t know when it is. He asked, “What if your meeting with God was tomorrow?” And it could be! What would He say to you? He knows your character and true heart. Although we only need to ask for forgiveness and believe in Him for his grace and good works cannot earn his grace and eternal life, I sure hope and pray that if my meeting is with God is tomorrow he will say to me, “Well done my good and faithful servant!” I know He will say that to my Dad. What do you think he will he say to you?

Paul and his verbs

Wow. 1 Timothy 4 is filled with instruction. The second portion is filled with lots of verbs:

Command
Teach
Don’t
Devote
Do not neglect
Be diligent
Watch
Persevere

Paul seems to be getting shorter in his messages and stronger here in this verse. How can we tackle all he is asking us to do? Let’s start with the view of Paul as Timothy’s coach and as our coach. The first part of this chapter tries to point out that some will go astray. He could be talking about the people of Ephesus but he also is showing us that it could happen to people we know today. He is clear that demons and temptation will take people down a different path in life, an ungodly life, those focused on using God’s gifts in the wrong manner. He reminds us that everything he created is good. That’s a great way to start each day, isn’t it? Remembering all we see, have, do was created by God and is intended to be good, not evil or for evil use.

⁴For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, ⁵because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.

Paul then asks us to work on our discipleship, helping others learn and grow, and helping others stay on the right path. If we are “…nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed…”, then maybe we can help others learn about this good teaching. I think we can do this in many situations. I tried it out this week and received a good response (not always the case I know). One of my friend’s took her oldest to college way far away. I sent her my favorite verse Jeremiah 29:11. I have never really had an in depth conversation with her on this subject of religion so I was taking a risk, but I wanted to show I share her anxiety. It worked. She was caught off guard and very thankful.

Back to Timothy. Paul then moves on to coach us to not only focus on physical training, but to focus on our spiritual training. In some cases it is easy to go out and run or go to the gym, but shouldn’t it also be easy to sit down and read the bible or go to church on Sundays? Doesn’t seem to be as easy. We have to train ourselves, get in the routine (our Bible Journal community), and continue to track our progress. He reminds us to put our hope in the living God, the living word and spirit.

Lastly, Paul goes to his strong verbs. Even though some of us are young :-), I think he really means all people who might be young in studying the word or young in sharing our faith with others or truly young in age. He wants us to be confident in our ways and in our voice, not letting others overshadow us. He wants us to set an example for the nonbelievers and believers in our speech, in our conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

And don’t take it lightly or think you aren’t worthy. I take this as speaking openly or testing the waters when it might seem uncomfortable. Or if it’s too hard to speak, put your faith into action.

⁵Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹

Lastly, one of my favorite verbs. Persevere! That’s hard, but if we go back to the first part of this chapter, we don’t want to be one of the ones Paul refers to as abandoning the faith.

I wish you well today as you:

See everything God created as good
Coach others
Stretch to show your faith even if you might be “young”
Watch for signs
Continue to persevere in following God’s path

Influence

When I saw which chapter of 1 Timothy was today’s reading, I had to smile, because it’s a passage of Scripture that I’ve read so many times before. While the heading of the chapter is “Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons,” a mentor of mine a few years ago encouraged me to read 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and a similar passage, Titus 1:5-9, and consider the same qualifications Paul lists for these church leaders when praying and waiting for my future husband. At first, it seemed like a weird suggestion to me, but once I dug deeper into the heart of what God was saying in these passages, I realized that my mentor was right, and the man I wanted to end up with someday should have these sorts of characteristics as the leader of our marriage and of our future family. In 1 Timothy 3, we see that Paul has a few main characteristics that he points out as being of particular importance in the character of a leader. 1 Timothy 3: 2-10 says,

²Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full[a] respect. ⁵(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. ⁸In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁹They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. ¹⁰They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

Verse 11 shares a little about Paul’s expectations for women:

¹¹In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

And lastly, Paul finishes with a few more words about men as leaders in the church:

¹²A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. ¹³Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

While I’m not looking for a husband anymore, my mentor’s advice was helpful… and I’m blessed to say that God brought someone into my life who lives out each of the characteristics that Paul says we should look for in leaders and that tmy mentor said I should wait for in a husband. 🙂 But regardless, I think we can all learn from 1 Timothy 3, because we ALL have influence somewhere in our lives. Whether we’re involved with a family, a church, a business, a small group, or even a friendship, we ARE leaders and we CAN lead where we are. Furthermore, we can become better leaders by developing these godly characteristics within ourselves and asking God to grow us in these areas. Today, my prayer is that God will help me grow where I am currently weak so that I can be a better leader in the areas over which I have influence… no matter how big or how small.

Pray for Everyone

Today’s reading is 1 Tim 2

I love the instruction Paul writes to us in the first verse of this chapter. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.” He goes on to say that we should be praying for all who are in authority so that we can live at peace and be marked by godliness and dignity. God wants us to pray for everyone because He wants everyone to be saved and understand the truth. Jesus gave His life to reconcile God and humanity and to purchase freedom for everyone.

Pray for all people…what does that look like for me? Paul helps me out a bit more by giving some guidelines in these verses. Ask God to help others. I can do that. Intercede on others behalf when you know they are struggling to reach out to God for themselves, or if they don’t have a relationship with Him at all, I should go to God for them and ask Him to help them. That makes sense. God wants me to be thankful for others. He wants me to be grateful to Him for creating other people and allowing them to be in my life whether I enjoy them or not. This one might feel a bit tougher to do consistently, but sure helps me keep my heart centered on God instead of myself. God wants me to pray for my leaders. The ones in my family, at church, at my workplace, in my country, and in the world. God’s desire is that all people be saved, so if I pray for people to meet Jesus and to accept Him, this is good and pleases God. It’s pretty clear after reading these verses that God is not looking for a “daily blanket prayer” meant to cover all people. He wants us to pay attention to the people we encounter. He wants us to be aware of the people we meet, work with, shop with, sit at the kids swimming lessons with, make conference calls with, live next to, etc. If I have enough time to think about these people and notice them throughout my day, I have enough time to lift them to Jesus in prayer. I can thank God for them, ask Him to help them, and ask God to draw them to Him if they don’t have a relationship with Him, without even knowing very much about them. I can work on this. I can learn to pray for people I encounter instead of breezing right by without a second thought.

The next section of this chapter, vs 8-15 are a bit trickier to figure out. I had to drag out my commentaries again to get some help on culture and customs from this time period so I could grasp more of the heart of what Paul is trying to convey. It looks like the principle behind Paul’s instructions for women’s dress, hair style and jewelry was more about them emphasizing the internal over the external. Clothes, (as long as they are not sexually suggestive) jewelry and hairstyles are not wrong in themselves, but can take on too much importance in our hearts which shows us that we might be struggling with misplaced values. When our focus is on our hearts and being good to others, then our beauty is seen from the inside out. This is what Paul is asking women to aim at.

Verses 11-15, honestly, I wish were in someone else’s chapter to post on! Ugh!! Even the commentaries admit that this is one of the most difficult passages in the New Testament to interpret. Good, it’s not just me! I am not going to make a guess at explaining this. I would encourage you to look into some explanations and options written by much more studied persons than myself. Research some word studies on “quiet” and “submissive” in this biblical context. Ask God to speak to you on what He wants you to understand from this group of verses. Ask Him if He wants you to consider changing your thinking around this topic. (Maybe after trying to figure out the meaning of these last verses, Paul’s earlier command to pray for all people seems a little easier…)

Fight the Good Fight

Today, we begin reading the first chapter of 1 Timothy together. Paul wrote this letter to his young friend, Timothy, who Paul calls his son in the faith. This letter was written just prior to Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome, which explains the urgency that permeates it. Paul had a message to impart to Timothy and to the world, and he was eager to do so, quickly.
I was curious about what Paul would choose to lead off with in this letter, knowing the urgency behind it. I learned that He begins with truth and love. We see in verse 3 that Paul is still concerned about people teaching false doctrines in places like Ephesus: “…remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine…” (1 Timothy 1:3). Furthermore, Paul states that “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). We are to speak truth, and we are to love well.
Next, Paul shares his testimony. As we have seen throughout the New Testament, Paul never hesitates to do this! He knows full well how he was changed after his encounter with Christ and he wants to world to know Him for this reason. Paul says, “This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1: 15). Paul’s statement is bold, strong and simple. And in the next sentence, we again glimpse Paul’s deep humility. He explains that, “…I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:16). Paul, a former persecutor of Christians, calls himself the foremost, the worst of sinners. I believe he does this to give us hope. Our family is currently praying for six people who we love to come to know Christ; some of these we have been praying for for years. Many years. And in this passage, Paul’s words encourage me to not despair, and to keep hoping and praying for the salvation of those I love.
At the end of this chapter, Paul reminds Timothy that the road he will travel will not be an easy one. Instead, it will be fraught with frustration and even danger. Paul exhorts Timothy to, “…fight the good fight, holding on to faith…” (1 Timothy 1:19, NIV). The imagery Paul uses would have been relatable to Timothy and his contemporaries; they were all too familiar with the concept of fighting, from the gladiator fights held in the arenas of Rome to war with neighboring countries. Likewise, we too can relate. So let us push forward, persevere, and fight for our faith. And then let us join Paul in praising our Lord: “To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Timothy 1:17)

Introduction to I Timothy

I am excited to start off this week and this book with you. This is the first time that I have had the privilege to introduce a book this year and I am excited to introduce I Timothy which is the beginning of the Pastoral Letters of Paul. The assumed time period that I Timothy was written about AD 64 or 65, around the time after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment and during a time that he and Timothy revisited the church in Ephesus. This is a letter of encouragement and instruction to Timothy as he beings to pastor of the Church in Ephesus. The main blueprint that Paul lays out is: instructions on the right belief, instructions for the church, and instruction for elders. The main themes can be further broken down to: Sound Doctrine, Public Worship, Church Leadership, Personal Discipline, and a Caring Church. (NIV Life Application study bible)

As I prayed and prepared for this introduction I found out some interesting facts of Timothy:

Was from Lystra and Derbe. This is the same place that in Acts Chapter 14 the people of the city actually stoned Paul and left him for dead. God has a plan for you and sometimes the place he sends you, you might not want to return.
1. Acts 16: Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ²The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.
Was prepared for his role. Sometimes the preparation is necessary for the journey and allows others to see God’s work in you.
1. Act 16: ³Paul wanted to take him along on the journey; so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
Was raised and nurtured by his mother, Eunice, and grandmother, Lois. (II Timothy 1:5)
1. This strikes a note with me because I was mainly raised by my mother and grandmother and they had and continually have an impact on my adult life, especially my Spiritual life. I am often reminded of the gentle and loving way that my grandmother would: sing hymns and read the bible and pray daily. I pray that I would have a portion of her dying devotion to the practice of spiritual living and giving.

As we prepare to enter into this lesson to Timothy, let us reflect on the words of Paul to Timothy :

The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. I Timothy 1:5

Lord, as we continue our journey in the letters of Paul, allow us to remember that the purpose of this journey in faith is to recognize your LOVE for us and how we can share your love with others and listen for your direction in our lives. Amen

Sin of Idleness

As I sit here in my chair looking out the window, it is 92 degrees and feels like 105 degrees. Since 8:00 am a moving truck and 3 workers have been loading up my neighbors belongings. They have taken much needed breaks and I see lots of water bottles around, but they are working hard getting everything loaded into that truck. Not once have I witnessed one of them sit down and be lazy in this scorching heat!

In todays reading of 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, Paul winds up his letter with final instructions about working hard and not giving in to idleness.

I can just imagine what would happen across the street if one of the movers sat down and got lazy while the others continued to carry heavy boxes and furniture from the house to the truck! I am pretty sure that a fight might break out or word would definitely get back to the boss about the one being lazy. This lazy worker would disrupt, discourage and could even embitter the whole group of movers. This is what Paul was seeing in Thessolonica. People were becoming idle as they were waiting for the Lord to return. As they were not busy, they became busybodies. They stirred up trouble with their gossipy, busybody behavior. The problem was unsettling the church. These people had so much time on their hands that they were meddling in others’ affairs and causing problems, rather than living quiet lives and providing for their families.

Idleness can be defined as a lack of pursuing spiritual things. Idleness is not just being a couch potato, laying on the sofa. You can be very busy at your daytime job, cleaning around the house, doing outdoor work or even volunteering in your community. But that business is not going to keep fiery darts from the evil one from hitting you, if your mind isn’t on Jesus, it is not being renewed. If you are not pursuing God, you will be pursued and overtaken by the thoughts of this world. This is the sin of idleness – a lack of pursuing god.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 reminds us, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” He is true to His promises. He cannot lie or pull any punches. What He promises, He delivers. God will establish us and guard us from the evil one. God will also “guard” us. He is our defender. He stands guard for us.

When we are not idle and spend time in the Word of God, we put more truth in our souls. The more truth we hide in our hearts, the more stable we become because God is faithful to us. God’s faithfulness toward us inspires trust. Trust in God’s faithfulness gives us stability because we know that He will be true to His Word (Numbers 23:19). We have His support in any situation we face.

While we wait for the Lord’s return, just as they were doing in this passage, we are instructed to live as responsible members of our families, neighborhoods, and communities. We need to strive to represent Jesus well.