The way these devotionals work is that they tell you a passage in the Bible to read and then you read over the step that this devotional is speaking of and then read the devotional. So I will also have the addition of the Bible passage for your easy reading. That way you can get the most out of these posts.
Please note that this Bible is the New Living Translation. Making it a bit easier to understand.
Today's devotional is coming from the series of devotionals on step 10. (After todays post's I will be going back to step one and then give you one from each step. Then if I think that it has been a blessing to you my reader - I will go through the steps again sharing new devotionals.
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Perseverance
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:1-8
A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus
Timothy, my dear son, be strong with the special favor God gives you in Christ Jesus. 2 You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthy people who are able to pass them on to others. 3 Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. 5 Follow the Lord's rule for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. 6 Hardworking farmers are the fist to enjoy the fruit of their labor. 7 Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things. 8 Never forget that Jesus Christ was a man born into King David's family and that he was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach.
2 Timothy 2:1-8
We continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
(step 10)
Recovery is a lifelong process. There will be times when we grow weary and want to throw in the towel. We will experience pain, fear, and a host of other emotions. WE will win some battles but lose others in the war to achieve wholeness. We may get discouraged at times when we can't see any progress, even though we have been working hard. But if we persevere through it all, we can maintain the ground we have gained.
The apostle Paul used three illustrations to teach about perseverance. He wrote to Timothy: "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. And as Christ's soldier, do not let yourself become tied up in the affairs of this life, for then you cannot satisfy the one who has enlisted you in his army. Follow the Lord's rules for doing his work, just as an athlete either follows the rules or is disqualified and wins no prize. Hardworking farmers are the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying. The Lord will give you understanding in all these things" (2 Timothy 2:3-7).
Like a soldier, we are in a war that we can win only if we fight to the end. Like an athlete, we must train for a new way of life and follow the steps of recovery to the finish line. Like a farmer, we must do our work in every season and then wait patiently until we see growth. If we stop working our program before reaching the goal, we may lose everything we have fought, trained and worked hard for.
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Remember next week we will be starting with Step One and working our way through the steps.
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