Wednesday after Populus Sion, The Second Sunday in Advent
Posted on December 8, 2021 by under
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17 (NKJV)
3:10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Devotion
Sometimes the world and its future look very bleak. We see corruption growing in the affairs of government, even corruption and evil among those who claim to serve God in His church! So we have to remind ourselves that the world we see will someday pass away, consumed in God’s judgment that will occur when Jesus Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. And while we await His glorious return, will things get better for us, or will they get worse? Here, Paul warns Timothy that they will certainly get worse.
But what are we to use as a guide while we wait? Are the words and mutual encouragement of fellow believers enough? Are they our source of strength and comfort? Certainly, the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren is good and healthy, and we encourage it. But the source of our doctrine and practice is, and must remain, the inspired Words of Holy Scripture itself, preserved for us through these thousands
of years, from Moses to the apostle John. The Words of Scripture alone, in contrast to the human wisdom of history or science, are able to make us “wise for salvation.” Scripture alone teaches us what we really need to know.
Prayer: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Thine only-begotten Son, so that by His coming we may be enabled to serve Thee with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for Advent: Stir up, we beseech Thee, Thy power, O Lord, and come, that by Thy protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins, and saved by Thy mighty deliverance; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever, one God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
