2021 Daily Devotion - Day 286

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A New England high school teacher taught a course entitled “The Bible as Literature.” Only seniors in the top 10 percent of the class could take this course. A pre-test was given to evaluate the students’ biblical knowledge. One student defined the Epistles as "wives of the Apostles". A pastor was so humored by this answer that he shared it during his next sermon. One of the church members approached him afterwards and asked, "If the Epistles weren’t the wives of the Apostles, whose wives, were they?"

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

What does it mean to “rightly handle the word of truth”? It means to have a strong understanding of the Word of God; the Bible. It means to know that the Epistles were the letters St. Paul and others wrote to the churches – to know what is right and what is wrong. It means to know the basics; such as the fact you cannot earn your way to heaven, but only receive it through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

To get there, we must study the Bible privately and with other believers. More than ever, the average person is “biblically illiterate”, and as a result, we see nothing but trouble in our society. Many live in hopelessness, because the Bible is a closed book to them.

In this new year of 2021, it would be good time to commit ourselves to reading God’s Word so we can be strengthened for this journey of life.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, give us a craving for Your Word, the Bible. Only Your Word has the wisdom, insight and counsel we need. Turn this new year of 2021 into one in which we learn how to “rightly handle the word of truth”. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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