Originally written: September 10, 2015
As I got ready for bed last night, I looked at the Scripture taped to my mirror, written in green Sharpie:
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
I’ve been meaning to memorize this, I thought. I need to memorize this.
When I woke up this morning, one of the passages in my Daily Devotional New Testament: Through the New Testament in a Year (a great read—you should really try it. You can read through the whole New Testament in one year with a reasonable amount to digest each day!) was 2 Timothy 3. And then as I worked through my new Beth Moore study (Ann and I are tackling her study of the book of Daniel!) she directed me to the very same Scripture. Coincidence? I don’t believe in them! Not with the power of God at work and alive in my life.
I’d say I would have to be fairly dense if I couldn’t see the Lord calling me to this verse, and based on last night’s emptiness, I’d say the Lord is so sweetly reminding me how to fill up my cup: with the Word of God.
I’ve been out of my study of John for several weeks now, and I feel like I left the weight room. The Gospel of John was my workout and my muscles have been atrophying since I stopped studying. I’ve been in the Word, but I’d say I’ve been a bit wayward, drifting aimlessly—slacking a bit on the weights. I recognize my weaknesses and strengths. Navigating the Bible on my own is not yet a strength. I need direction, structure, a workout plan. I know the Lord is calling me back to this as I begin our study at church and as I dive into Daniel.
And I believe 2 Timothy 3:16-17 is a gentle encouragement from the Lord that I am on the right track—that I need to stick to it. That I need to up my weights, as I tell the girls in the weight room.
I guess it seems pretty simple: there is no substitute for spending intentional time in the Word of God!