My devotional reading took me to 1 Timothy 2 today, and as I read, I thought about Paul writing to Timothy. After a quick look at several chronologies (this one from ethnos360 was especially well-written and user-friendly:), I found the following timeline:
- AD 49-50–Paul finds Timothy
- AD 64–becomes pastor
- AD 65–1 Timothy
- AD 66–2 Timothy; Paul again in prison; knows death is near; probably 561
So what? Well, for me, I like to think about the background and the setting. It helps me to understand the thoughts behind the words. For example, 2 Timothy is Paul’s last letter. He is once again in prison and most likely knows his days are numbered. You can hear the urgency in his words. Think about what you would write to a loved one on your deathbed. The concerns weighing upon your heart become crystal clear and move to the top of the list of importance.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU MUST STUDY THE BIBLE THIS WAY! We are all different. Our situations are different; our DNA is different; our brains are wired differently; our time slots are different, and on and on. But one thing is vitally similar if not exactly the same: WE ALL NEED TO READ AND STUDY THE BIBLE. It’s our spiritual lifeline to our Heavenly Father, and He has so much He wants to tell us.
So, here are some tips to help you in your journey, because it IS a “Journey of Faith.” (WOW! What a great title for a book! 🙂 )
- Make it a daily habit. Think of it as eating. As a young mom, I struggled with consistency, so I decided I would not eat physically until I ate spiritually. I became very faithful in my devotion time. LOL
- Have a plan. Maybe you’re a hard-core-Bible-only devotee. Fine. Or you may need a jumpstart through a devotional booklet. There are a lot of good ones out there. Do your homework and find one that is not only good for you but biblically sound. “How do I do that?” you ask. I can list some that I like but it certainly isn’t exhaustive2. Ask your pastor. Lord willing, you have a pastor whose doctrine is biblically sound and will direct you.
- Keep the Word your primary focus. The devotionals are someone else’s “deep digging.” Do some of your own.
- Journal. This isn’t for everyone, but I have found that, even if you only write one verse down, it’s helpful. Grow into writing one verse and one thought. Who knows. You may become a writer after all!!
- Use a helping hand. I can’t stress this enough. I use blueletterbible.org every day, and I haven’t utilized everything their website has to offer. Borrow brains!
- Don’t get sidetracked. This is my biggest problem. I love rabbit trails, and they can be helpful, but remember: THE MAIN REASON WE READ THE BIBLE IS TO HEAR FROM GOD AND APPLY IT TO OUR HEARTS, NOT OUR BRAINS!
I hope this is helpful. It’s hard work to discipline yourself to make Bible reading a priority, but the benefits are out of this world!
Devotionals:
Books:
Gracelaced Ruth Chou Simons does a great job of sharing the beautiful and the difficult.
My Devotionals https://wandamacavoy.com/bookstore-2/ I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my devotionals. There’s a variety of books in my bookstore:
- True Riches: a workbook-type study on the book of Esther
- Still Waters—Finding Calm in a Crazy World: Divided into nine “Still Water Truths and Challenges”
- Psalm 119–A Devotional with quotes from Spurgeon: verse by verse look at this amazing psalm. Philip Henry “recommended his children to take a verse of it every morning and meditate upon it” going through the psalm twice a year.
- Good, Better, Best Wife: a 25-day devotional on Proverbs 31 with Mathew Henry (made “user-friendly”)
“Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them,
Timothy 4:15
that your progress may be evident to all.”
1In the first century, the average life expectancy was around 22-33 years. However, this low average is largely due to high infant and childhood mortality rates, with roughly half of the population dying before the age of 10. For those who survived to adulthood, life expectancy could be significantly higher, with many individuals living into their 40s, 50s, and even 60s. (From AI. Is it trustworthy? That’s a discussion for another day.)
Beyond Common Sense 