2 Peter 3:9

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9 

Peter here is answering a question coming from those who are mocking the Christians, in this case focusing on those who state the following, “and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 2 Peter 3:4.  You can hear the mocking attitude in these statements.  ‘You keep saying He’s coming, but where is He?’ they might say.

However, Peter answers this with verse 8.  “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” 2 Peter 3:8.  Time has no effect on God.  He is eternal, both past and future.  Because of this, a day is like a millennium and vice-versa.  In fact, He resides outside of time, for time does not exist outside of this created universe.

In the focus verse, Peter is saying that God is not slow concerning His promises.  He is not delaying anything.  He will come back at the appointed time.  He is patient toward us.  He is slow to bring the punishment because this shows proof that He desires all to come to repentance.  He is not rushing His return but giving enough time for all to be saved.  Men will not have any excuse.  This shows His loving kindness.  He knows the end from the beginning, but His slowness is a sign to us.

God does not want any to be condemned and thereby perish.  He loves us too much.  He gives everyone the opportunity.  It is up to us to accept Jesus’s work providing justification.  He gives us all the time we need.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

2 Timothy 2:24-26

Verse of the Day Devotion: 2 Timothy 2:24-26

“The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.” – 2 Timothy 2:24-26

When we are saved, we become a servant of Christ.  Paul refers to himself as a “doulos” which is the Greek word for bondservant, and we should see ourselves the same.  In our focus verses, Paul lets us know how we are to carry ourselves.  Let’s look at these points and, where we see ourselves falling short, like I have, we can make the changes to how we ought to be.

We are not to be quarrelsome.  We must be kind to all.  If there is a point of disagreement, we must not raise our voices or use insults in order to get our way.  Also, we must teach them where they are in error, or where they have a desire to learn.  When anyone wrongs us, we must not lose our temper, but with patience and love, work toward reconciliation.

We must be gentle with all.  When correcting those who are wrong, we must do it in love.  If they are in sin, then we must admonish them, in love, with our goal being leading them to repentance whereby they acknowledge the sin and turn from it.  John puts it clearly when he says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9 Unfortunately, we all commit sins even if we do not know or want to admit it.  Remember the Golden Rule, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12 Approach them as we would want them to approach us.  If we come at them in anger or arrogance, we may not have the opportunity to speak into their lives.  We may actually drive them away.  This is not what our goal should be.

We do not know all that is going on in a brother or sister’s life.  Many times, we may find embedded hurts, anguish, worry, sorrow, or broken heartedness.  We cannot add to their issues by not showing love to them Sometimes a compassionate discussion may be all that is needed, and they will find healing; and return to a solid Christian walk.  Other times, we may have to get help for them when their situation is beyond our ability to deal with.  However, we must stay in contact so we can be there for them if needed in the future.

One last thing, though not in our focus verses, keep them in your prayers.  This is a very powerful way to show our compassion.  We can let them know or not; that depends on each individual situation.  However, either way, we are loving them.  And that is the most important thing we can do.  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

James 5:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: James 5:8  

“You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” – James 5:8.

James in this passage is exhorting Christians to be patient for the coming of the Lord is near.  He starts off by using the example of a farmer “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.”  James 5:7. The farmer who prepares a field sows some seed and then waits for the crop to grow.  He can do little to affect the speed at which the plants will grow, but what he can do is be patient and pray, waiting for the rain to come at the right time.  This was especially important in Palestine for the farmer was dependent on the rain that came in late autumn and early spring.  As is said in Deuteronomy. “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. He will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.” Deuteronomy 11:13-15. 

Now, James is saying that as the farmer trusts in the Lord to give the rain at the right times to produce a good harvest, so should we trust God and patiently wait for the Lord to return as promised.  We are to stand strong and not give up hope no matter how difficult life gets.  Douglas J. Moo in his commentary puts it this way.  “What is commanded, then, is firm adherence to the faith in the midst of temptations and trials.  As they wait patiently for the Lord to return, believers need to fortify themselves for the struggle against sin and with difficult circumstances.”

Many struggles with the idea of His return as being near or soon.  See the wording in our focus verse.  “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”  James 5:8.  The word ‘near’ is a relative term.  A couple of examples is “evening is near therefore we shall soon go to sleep.  Or, my birthday is near, it is only a month away.  What we must understand is that ‘near’ is within the context of salvation history, which refers to the period from the death and resurrection of Christ to our own day.  Do we know the exact time, no we do not.  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.”  Matthew 24:36.  But what we do know is that He will return.  In the book of Acts we read what the angels spoke regarding His return.  “They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”  Acts 1:11.

In closing, we do not know when Christ will return.  According to Jesus, even He does not know when it will occur, only the Father knows.  But what we do know is He will return.  We as Christians need to wait patiently for Him, and in the meantime do the work God has called us to do.   We should continue to give our whole life to His service, showing the love of Christ through the lives we live to everyone He brings our way: which includes spreading the truth of the gospel to all who do not know, and encouraging and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

1 Corinthians 13:4

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Corinthians 13:4 

“Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,” – 1 Corinthians 13:4

Over the next five days, I will be Looking at 1 Corinthians 13 and how Paul, led by the Holy Spirit, describes what  true love actually is.  This is important as we see the world going away from what love while focusing more on themselves.  We, as Christians need to be a light in this world, showing what God wants His people to be like.  And in exhibiting what love really is, we may cause many who see it to desire becoming a child of God because of it.

This verse starts by declaring that love is patient.  In other words, love for our fellow man, saved or not, is extremely patient toward them.  It suffers all the weaknesses and ignorance, errors and infirmities of the children of God.  It endeavors to work in whatever way necessary to be a help in all times of trial.  It does not get frustrated. It does what is necessary in order to guide our brothers and sisters into all truth, helping them walk in the ways God desires us all to walk.  Remember, we all have a history, things that have happened to us that shape the way we react to things.  It is important that we work through them, both in ourselves as well as with others, so that we can all grow in God. 

Regarding those of this world, we must patiently work through all the anger, malice and wickedness in order to draw them to listen to the truth and help them make the decision to accept Christ.  No matter what they do, no matter what they say, no matter how they may ridicule us, we must continue to love them: desiring they come to the knowledge of the truth.  To give up on the unsaved is not showing love for them.  We may need to take a break, but we should never give up.

And along with the above, we are to be kind to all people. The word translated kind has the idea of tenderness and compassion.  It is mild-tempered, gentle and benign.  And, as the theologian Adam Clarke puts it, “if called to suffer, inspires the sufferer with the most amiable sweetness, and the most tender affection.”  This can be difficult to do, but it can be done.  God can help us to have such a love for them that whatever they do, we still want what is best for them, that being salvation and God living in them.

Also, it is not jealous of what another has.  It is not grieved simply because they have a greater portion of something good or has something we have always wanted but have never attained.  We should be happy for them, knowing that God will always supply us with everything we need.  And it does not brag about anything, but is humble, looking at others more highly that it looks at itself.   This is the truest picture of love, one that sees ourselves as ministers to all.  Not through pride and arrogance, but letting everyone know that they are, if not more, important then we are. 

I encourage us all  to pray that God will give us this type of love for everyone who we come across.  This is the love Christ had for us, and this should and must be the love we have for others.  God will give it to us, we just need to seek it with all our hearts, and then walk whereby people see our love and is drawn to Him.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.