Day 294

Jeremiah 46:1-47:7, 1 Timothy 6:3-21, Psalm 119:73-80

The love of money is not only the root of all evil (according to Paul) it is also a very tight line that most of us walk. It is only natural for us to want financial security for our families, it is only natural to want to the occasional luxury every now and again, and all of these things require money. To live nowadays, requires money and quite a lot of it. It seem only natural therefore to want money.

I think I would have to confess to falling on the wrong side of this trap recently and wanting more money. And yet we are told that, the birds of the air get their food and the lily get’s its clothes, and that God will provide ever so much more for us. When we long after money, we stop relying on God to provide for our needs, we stop turning to him for our provision.

This letter to Timothy has been a bit of a mix of words for the church where Timothy was and words for Timothy himself. Here Paul continues in that way as he gives Timothy a charge to carry on. It is interesting that there is a great deal in the middle but Paul offers Timothy a challenge but then gives him the tools to finish that challenge. “Fight the good fight” he says and then goes on a bit before ending with “Grace be with you”.

By the Grace of God in Christ Jesus we too can fight the good fight, so “Grace be with you”.