Day 295, 22nd June: Jeremiah, 2 Timothy and Psalms

Unashamed
By Jude Munday

Todays Readings Are:
Jeremiah 48:1-49:6
2 Timothy 1:1-18
Psalm 119:81-88

Have you ever had “testimony envy”? If you were brought up in a nice, comfortable, Christian family, have you ever thought your testimony was, well . . . boring? That maybe you couldn’t tell people about Jesus as well as someone with a rock and roll background could?

We see here that Timothy has come from a mother and grandmother of “sincere faith” (v5). Paul is excited that this faith is alive in Timothy, and encourages him not to be timid, but to share Jesus. If the thought of sharing your faith terrifies you, that’s normal! – but it’s not an excuse, because God has given us “a spirit of power, of love and of self discipline” (v7).

Sharing the gospel can be scary: we put ourselves at risk of mocking, rejection and general suffering, but we don’t do it alone. We do it together (as Paul invites Timothy to join him) and in the power of God (v8). We shouldn’t be ashamed because the good news we share is one of grace, life and immortality (v9-10).

But what if we do have a history we are ashamed of? Or we speak to someone who feels they are too bad to ever be forgiven? Jeremiah’s messages to the Moabites and Ammonites show that God hates sin and injustice, but there is always hope. God has seen the pride and heard the boasting of both nations, but God will make sure they know that He is King, and His name is the LORD Almighty (e.g 48 v 15). The prophecy sounds brutal, but both messages end in hope (Jer 48v47, 49 v 6). God loves to restore, wherever we have been, whatever we have done. What a privilege to be asked to share such a loving, wonderful, gracious God!

But we don’t always feel like that. What if we do suffer, or we feel far from God and not able to share him? The Psalm shows someone waiting, struggling but trusting (as was Paul v12). Whatever goes on around us, God is trustworthy (Psalm 119v86), and in loving obedience to Him, we find life, whatever the circumstances. (v87-88).

Let’s trust in God, ask for His spirit and go out today unashamed of the God we serve!

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Today’s picture was taken by…
Jenny Stone in Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower
of her friend Kate Waters reading the Bible in One Year. Thanks Girls!

If you’d like to take your own picture to potentially be featured on the blog, then get your Soul Survivor Bible in One Year, and take a picture of yourself – and your Bible – at some interesting or colourful location. Then email it to us at editor@soulsurvivor.com.

The pictures will need to be a pretty good resolution (we use 640px by 360 px so at least as big as that), landscape photos work best and if you include the day of the reading in the picture then make sure you send it to us a good few days before that reading, so we have time to include it in that day’s post! We’ll credit all photographers!