Be On Your Guard
For
I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for
my departure. I have fought the good
fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also
to all who have longed for his appearing.
Do
your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has
deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens
has gone to
Alexander the
metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he
has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly
opposed our message.
At my first defense,
no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against
them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me
strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the
Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord
will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly
kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Greet
Priscilla and
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with
you.
2 Timothy
4:6-22
Through it all Paul
put his faith in God for strength and survival, but this Scripture also notes
how astute Paul was in knowing his enemies, and telling others to be wary of
them. Our lives are battles. We will always have God for wisdom and support,
but even so there will be those who try to take us down.
Paul knew he was
about to die, but he had an unceasing faithfulness in God. Be wary of those who
do not feel the same way, but be totally ready to die.
Put all
of your faith in God. In so doing you will be ready to live.
Our Daily Bread –