If I could just be as faithful as God is to his promises.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with him, we will also live with him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with him. If we deny him, he will deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.
Trust me! Usually when you hear those words you know that you need to proceed carefully, but not so when the one saying "trust me" is our God, unlike other people around us, when God tells you to trust him you can take it to the bank.
"If" is a tiny little word with a lot of power, it is a word that invites us to make a choice, in this scripture we have choices with huge consequences. Paul wrote this message to Timothy, who was being mentored by Paul, he gave Timothy an invitation to a new way of life.
This is not the kind of invitation that some preachers are offering today, it isn't an invite to health, wealth and happiness, rather it is quite the opposite. Paul is saying that if we die to self and if we endure hardship, then we will reign with Jesus. Thankfully your "best life" isn't going to happen on this side of glory.
Paul's invitation looks a lot like the invitation that Jesus gave us:
| Mark 8:34-38 “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” |
There are two things that I must do and two things that I cannot do. Jesus said that to be his follower I must not be selfish, or ashamed and that I must take up my cross and give up my life. Jesus said that if I want to really live then it has to be in a way that doesn't indulge my human tendency toward self preservation.
| God Can Be Trusted |
|---|
| Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? |
✔ Joshua reminded the children of Israel that "every promise of the LORD your God has
come true" (Joshua 23:14)
✔ Abraham knew that God would be faithful to his promise. (Romans 4:20-22)
✔ King David spoke of the Lord's faithfulness over and over again. (Psalm 25:10, 31:5, 33:4)
God asks that we give up a lot to follow him. That shouldn't be such a scary thing for us to do when we realize that his faithfulness is worthy of our trust. It is amazing how unsafe it feels to give everything to the one that loves us the most.✔ Abraham knew that God would be faithful to his promise. (Romans 4:20-22)
✔ King David spoke of the Lord's faithfulness over and over again. (Psalm 25:10, 31:5, 33:4)
Help me Lord to trust in you one hundred percent.
