Gracious God to begin the weaving process with a young man named Timothy who had believers as mother and grandmother and a Gentile father. Paul seemed to have him circumcised to prove to everyone the faith of the mother and grandmother, meaning that he had had instruction in godliness from a young age. He knew the scriptures and was well equipped at a young age to be a teacher. Paul didn't want any questions about his credentials. This would be different than those who were brought up as rank gentile cultured people. The issue wasn't about salvation, but about maturity in the scriptures and the ability to use the scriptures in a godly way and not in an intimidating way. The other Judeaisers were saying that people needed to be circumcised to be accepted in the beloved. This was far from the truth. Paul was acting as this young man's Godfather, so to speak: to attest that his gifts and graces were come by honestly and he truly did have the root of the matter in him.
What an encouragement it is, to meet young men with the root of the matter in place! Those who have grown up with the training of the scriptures and prayer and the privileges of the grace of God in and upon their homes are truly blessed and a blessing. It was God's mercy to introduce him to Paul at such a time, I can imagine. Awesome, how God tempers our encouragements between the discouraging circumstances. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, Lord, but in the meantime, I would like to see some fruit. A young godly man can give you a picture of what you are trying to rear in the young people that you preach to. This seems to be what Timothy was to Paul. The picture of the promise of the gospel going to the ends of the earth. He wouldn't live to see all of his spiritual progenitors to maturity, but God gave him a token of blessing to spend some time with.
I pray for the young people whose privilege it is to know the Lord and the grace of God at an early age. The privilege of having it as a tool in the house and the privilege of having tasted of the goodness of the Lord in daily living is something to rejoice in. It is an unspeakable treasure. It is the greatest gift from God is the gift of His presence in your life from your earliest thought. May these children not take it for granted. May they not be puffed up in pride for the privileges. May they be humbled and gracious and grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord. Help them to know that they can never use up the graces and the knowledge of God. They need not ignore it because of its familiarity, but grow in it. I think that another element of Jesus growing in the grace and knowledge of God was that He, in His earthly body did not take for granted the relationship with God, but grew and was seeking God regularly. Sometimes we say, I know you God, I don't need to know anymore about you. Jesus showed us that for eternity, we will be continuing to do just that, getting to know God, who is infinite.
The beauty of the human frame is that it is eternally lower than God and could seek and seek and continue knowing him and never attain to God, that is something the Angels do not have. They have a knowledge of God that is consistent and glowing and not sought or reached for. We have longings which must continually be reigned into bring to the conformity to Christ. Just as soon as we know Him in this or that area of life, we are dusting ourselves off to see another area that needs His grace and needs to seek His face to know where He is in there. It is like getting to know Him all over again in another area. God grant our young people eyes to see that You are blessing them with the knowledge of Yourself. Give us those young Timothys who will be an example of godliness at a young age and continue to seek Him through the vicitudes. God, I pray for those young men that were young and gifted when we were young and pray for fortitude and strength in going through these hard older days. Plant their feet in your word Lord, use them for your glory and do not allow them to make shipwreck of their souls or their testimonies, either by the sin of pride and presumption or the sin of gross misteps. Hold them fast, Lord and make them examples of the humble Savior to the young people. Bring us to the unity of the faith, bring us to know You and be directed by You.
Please, don't give us up to our own misgivings and the deceptions of the enemy of our souls. When the devil accuses the brethren, in our ears and in our minds, raise up a standard against him. When the enemy of our souls seeks to use our love for oneanother for sordid purposes, raise up a standard against him. Help us, indeed to live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace and to provoke one another to love and to good works. Help us to comfort one another in our distresses and to encourage one another in our most holy faith. Give us the energy and the boldness to live in community with eachother with love unfeigned. Help us, of this mesh of intercultural conditions that we have inherited, to truly respect one anothers' cultural differences and love eachother, provoking eachother to love and good works. When there are those going through the griefs that will and do come, help us to be sympathetic and compassionate to one another and not to compound the grief by our course insensitivity. Give us this in our local assemblies and give us this in our interchurch fellowships.
I pray for Trinity and the ministry of Pastor Chanski, bless his transparent and humble attitude with the flock. Help them not to run ripshod over him because his hand is not as unyielding as they have known in times past. Help them to learn the beauty of obeying and being guided as with Your eye and not just with eyeservice. Use this man to grow up a generation of humble and submissive people of God. Bless Grace in Long Island and Pastor Doug strengthen his hand in the work and give him help and hope for the next generation. Bless Pastor Loran and the Central Church to be a beacon for the next generation and to truly preach the truth of God over the airwaves. Raise up men who can and will be the gentle shepherds and not idols or icons. Bless the Pastors in Michigan, Pastor Nichols and Pastor Chanski, minister to the elderly people there and raise up the next generation to love and fear you.Bless Bishop and the people at Bethel, build community and hope there, as well. Halleluia to You Lord that You said that You will build Your church and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. We need You Lord.
