II Timothy 2:3-7 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.”

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THOUGHT OF THE DAY – NOT JUST ANY SOLDIER, BUT A GOOD ONE.

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In my previous devotion taken from this passage, we saw that one of the main qualities Paul wanted to ingrain in Timothy was that of endurance.  For today’s devotion, I wanted to talk about another quality that Paul wanted to emphasize in Timothy’s life, and that is being a good soldier.

This is what this whole passage is about.  All of the attributes listed, all of the qualities emphasized, have to do with being a good soldier of Jesus Christ.  When we got saved, we were automatically enlisted into the army of God as a soldier of the Lord.  However, just as in the military of our country, there are good soldiers, and there are those that are subpar soldiers.  

With all the dangerous and delicate situations that being in the military may present, it is imperative to have good soldiers on the team to make sure the mission is executed effectively.  Having a soldier that doesn’t understand the mission fully, or worst yet, doesn’t believe in the mission fully, can jeopardize the safety of everyone involved.  

The same applies for the spiritual army of God.  There are many Christian soldiers in our army; however, not all of them are good soldiers.  Many have not taken the time to understand the mission that God has for us.  Many do not share the same desire to complete what they do understand about the mission of God.  

God’s army is in tremendous need for more soldiers…but not just any soldier, but a good one.  Will we make the decision today to not just be any soldier, but a good one?  God deserves the best, and His work depends on the very best.  Our God is worthy, the mission is weighty…but are God’s people willing?

MEMORY VERSE OF THE DAY

EPHESIANS 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

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