Wed., 10/30/19 Devotion (2 Tim. 2:1)

Today's encouragement comes from 2 Timothy 2:1, where we read these words:

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

This is a precious verse. What are we to be "strong" in? The "grace that is in Christ Jesus." What is this grace? It is supernatural Christ-grace. Jesus' grace is more than able to meet all of our everyday and eternal needs. How are we "strong" in this Christ-grace? By faith. When we by faith understand ourselves to be *in* our Redeemer; and know that we gain all our energy from Him—then we are truly “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

The thing for us to avoid, is the idea that we need to “do” something, *before* we can be strong in Christ's grace. The truth is that this simple faith—where-by we appropriate to our hearts the Lord Jesus Himself—*causes* us to be perfectly pleasing to God. Are we weak today? Let us be “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."

[Puritan quote of the day: "For from our neglect of prayer comes that dead-ness of spirit, that worldly-mindedness and unaptness to pray, to hear the Word, and to keep the Sabbath.” —John Preston, in his sermon entitled, "The Saint's Daily Exercise"]