Today’s devotion comes from 1 Timothy 4:11-16.
“11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” 1 Timothy 4:11-16.
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Today’s Scripture reminds me of the expression: “Mind your P’s and Q’s”. In summary of today’s Scripture, verse 16 states: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things”. Click here: Mind your Ps and Qs – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia It is also interesting how many commands and other words in today’s Scripture start with the letter “P”.
First, we see the command: “Prescribe and teach these things.” Verse 11. Prescribe is defined in part as “to lay down a rule : dictate“. Click here: Prescribe – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary Timothy may have been a little shy, so Paul wanted to encourage and exhort Timothy to be bold and to lay down rules and teach with authority. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” Verse 12. We too need to be careful in our speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, so that each of us is a good example to those who believe.
Second, we see the command: “give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.” Verse 13. This is similar to the first command, but it emphasizes the central role of Scripture in teaching. Do we read Scripture at length, and quote Scripture often, in our teaching? Or, do we just select a verse and get carried away with worldly fables or our own thoughts?
Third, we see the command: “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you”. Verse 14. It is not always laziness which causes us to neglect the spiritual gift within us. Sometimes, we try to do too much. Sometimes, we are influenced too much by peer pressure, or even self-righteousness, to do good things when we only have time to do the best things which are in accordance with our spiritual gifts.
Fourth, we see the command: “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.” Verse 15. We need to be fully committed and attentive to the details to the extent that we are “absorbed in them”, some may say “obsessed” with them. We don’t “dabble” as in play around or splash around in shallow water. So to speak, we dive in with scuba gear and stay in the deep water until the mission is complete.
Fifth, we see the summary command: “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things”. “Mind your P’s and Q’s”.
So, what is the purpose?
The purpose is “for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” Verse 16.
What is God’s good pleasure?
“So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Philippians 2:12-13.
Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions 