Category: Devotion of the Day

NOTWITHSTANDING THE LORD…

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me…Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me.
II Timothy 4:16, 17

Paul mentions the failure of men, but he majors on the faithfulness of God. We had better learn early to put no confidence in the flesh – in ourselves or in others. Our most familiar friend, which did eat of our bread, may lift up his heel against us. Our Lord’s disciples forsook Him and fled. Paul is tasting the same bitter experience. In his loneliness he begs Timothy to “come before winter.”

We can easily grow wretched over the failure of men, even the best of them. There is so much fickleness and so many Christians fail us. We had better resolve early to expect little of men, much of God. Major on His faithfulness! We have His promise and we may be sure of His presence, for the one assures the other.

Raise your sights higher than men. Then, if even your father and mother forsake you, the Lord will take you up.

TOO BUSY

As thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone.
I Kings 20:40

The man in this story received a charge to keep, but he was unfaithful, not because he was lazy or asleep, but because he was too busy. Idleness may be the devil’s workshop, but so is busyness if we are so busy that the best thing gets away.

Parents are too busy, and the children get away. Christians are too busy even with good things, and the best thing – to know God – gets away. Preachers are too busy, and the devotional life is lost. And while we are puttering life gets away.

The day of grace, the accepted time of salvation, passes unredeemed because we are too busy with the here and there and so forget the eternal.

If you are too busy to find time for God, you are too busy. You have received a charge to keep, and if your busyness keeps you from being about your Father’s business, you are a poor business man!