You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:1).
With these words, the Apostle Paul challenges his young protégé, Timothy, not to grow weary or weak as he endures for the sake of the gospel and the church in Ephesus. The church at this time was experiencing heavy persecution from the Ephesian culture around it, which had little interest in the gospel. But the church was also facing pressure from inside in the form of false teachers. The church, and Timothy, was pressed on all sides.
Put yourself in Timothy’s shoes. Your mentor, who happens to be the Apostle Paul, is in prison and about to be executed for the sake of the gospel. You’re about thirty years old, which was when you would begin ministry in those days. You’re being asked to guard the true gospel, to reason against false teachers, and to teach the people of the church in patience and wisdom, even when they don’t want to hear from you.
A couple of weeks of that and most of us would want to quit; just walk away and let someone else deal with it.
Paul knew Timothy would face this temptation, so he told him to draw strength from the only lasting source—the grace of Jesus.
Read the rest of my devotional at JustinHuffman.org
Grayson Pope 