Today’s Daily Lesson comes from 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 1 through 9:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,
2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace.
Paul is writing his young protege a pastoral letter. It is an heartening letter of encouragement and encouragement. The faith which lived in Timothy’s mother and also grandmother — both of Paul knew intimately — also lives in Timothy, Paul says. Paul is sure that same gift of faith also lives in Timothy and so he is therefore to “rekindle the gift” and go on and live in boldness, without fear, “relying on the power of God.”
That phrase deserves a repeat: “Relying on the power of God”. For it is God who strengthens and empowers us, Paul is saying, to face the days ahead.
In a letter to his co-conspirators against Hitler, German theologian and resistance member Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of faith and the fears which threatened always to overwhelm them. He said it was no use wondering if they have the faith to face the trials which might (and later did) come for them. He said they did not. Rather, faith he said is given like manna. We are only given what we need for the day at hand. If we had more, then we would trust in ourselves and cease to trust in the power and provision of God.
The same faith which lived in our parents and grandparents now lives in us. They faced their struggles; and we face and shall face ours too. But “relying on the power of God” we trust that we have enough of what is needed to endure today. And as for tomorrow, we trust God will raise the sun and send a mighty angel for that day too.
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