Drink Timothy's Wine when you Have Timothy's Stomach (1 Tim 5:23)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-13-02

 

My Worship Time                                     Focus: Drink Timothy's Wine when you Have his stomach

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:23

 

            Message of the verse:  “23  No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.”  I know that this verse is not speaking of having a habitual habit with wine.  I have read in different places from different authors that the quality of water during this time in history was not good and so many people drank wine instead of water.  Another thing that I have read is that the wine that was made during those days was not as strong a drink as it is today.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that this verse is saying to me what Pastor Burns has said about this verse and that is if you have Timothy stomach you can drink Timothy’s wine, or the same would hold true about his ailments.  Wine in moderation is good for the human body, however if you drink too much of it then it can cause a lot of problems.

The Word of God was insightful to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to make it a point to meet with the Lord early in the mornings and get my devotions done at that time.  I do believe that it is important to have a time during my day to meet with the Lord and also a place where I meet with Him each day.  I would like to change the place when we get to move some things out of this house in the future.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5 20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Be careful with you Selections (1 Tim. 5:22)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-12-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Be careful with your selections

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:22

 

            Message of the verse:  “22  Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure.”   Paul is warning Timothy to make sure that when he goes through the process of choosing spiritual leaders to do it very thoroughly.  This is what he means when he writes “do not lay hands on anyone hastily.”  If a person is either a new believer or a believer that has just moved into the local church, he can have unconfused sin in his life or even a sin problem that he does not want to deal with.  I think if a person was chosen to be a spiritual leader who has this problem the one who choose him will be guilty because they did not look into his background thoroughly enough.  Paul then goes on to say to Timothy to keep himself pure and this is something that is difficult to do and impossible without the aid of the Holy Spirit.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can learn from this verse to be patience and also participate in the sins of those around me.  I can also learn that my life as a believer in Jesus Christ needs to be pure, as Peter said that the believers should “be holy, for the Lord God Almighty is holy.”

The Word of God brought conviction and good teaching to me today.

 

My Step of Faith Today:  I must trust the Lord to get me over to Lorain this morning without being fearful.  Fear has had to large on an impact on me for far too long.

 

Memory verse for the week:  Roman 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, ever so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Treat the Elders Fairly (1 Tim. 5:21)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-11-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Treat the elders fairly

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:21

 

            Message of the verse:  “21  I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”  Paul is saying that if a Pastor or Elder is to be disciplined by the church that the church should make sure that the process that is set up from the Scripture is followed to the letter.  He tells Timothy that he charges him before God, Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels to make sure that this is done properly.  “Chosen angels” refers to those angels who did not follow Satan when one-third of the angels did follow him.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  What is see in this verse that should apply to my life is that what Paul is writing about in this verse is important to God.  The problem is that sometimes I do not act of better yet believe at times that the things that are important to God should be important to me.  The things that Paul is writing about here mean more than the things that I think are important while living out my life on planet earth.  This life is a dress rehearsal for the real things that go on in heaven.  I am not saying that life is not important, because it is, but the things about life that are important are the things that God deems important.

The Word of God brought conviction to my heart today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I need faith in the Lord to get me safely over to Lorain tomorrow.  I do not want the problems that I have been having with my bowels that I have been having because it is important that I be able to get over to help out with Sandy’s parents tomorrow.

Memory verses for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Discipline & Restoration (1 Tim. 5:20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-09-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Discipline & Restoration

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:20

 

            Message of the verse:   “20  Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”  Paul is continuing to explain the process of discipline in the church as outlined in Matthew 18:15-20.  I need to mention that the purpose of discipline is to have the person repent.  In Galatians 6:1 Paul is also writing about the process of discipline and he says in that verse that the offender is to be restored in the spirit of gentleness.  The word restore means to set a broken bone.  “1) to render, i.e. to fit, sound, complete

1a) to mend (what has been broken or rent), to repair.”  Getting back to the process of discipline that is written about here Paul goes on to say that the person is to be rebuked in the presence of all in order to bring about fear in those other elders.  That is what the “others” refers to in this verse, elders.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that this verse teaches the seriousness of sin and sin is a serious matter when it is present in the life of a believer, especially a pastor or deacon.  This verse also teaches that the process of discipline is to restore the offender in gentleness and that others should be fearful about the results of sin in ones life.

The Word of God brought teaching into my life today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I do need to continue to trust the Lord when it comes to the subject of moving of doing something to this house.

 

Memory verses for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Truthful Accusations (1 Tim 5:19)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-08-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Truthful Accusations

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:19

 

            Message of the verse:  19 “ Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses.”  Paul is instructing Timothy to make perfectly sure any accusations that go against an elder are the truth and not something just made up.  This process is described by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 18:15-20 where it says, “ 15 ¶ "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.

16  "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED.

17  "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.18"Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.19"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.20"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think the important part of this verse for me today is that I do not sin so that I need not be concerned about having any rebuke me.  Also because it is difficult for me to confront someone or something then it is important for me to do so when needed to.

The Word of God has brought conviction to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  God does promise me as a believer to have His peace in my life.  It is difficult for me to have peace in my life at this time.  I am at unrest over the fact that I do not know what to do about moving or remolding or nothing.  It is hard for me because I get no support from my wife over this struggle that is going on inside of me.  I need God’s peace to rule in my life over this situation.

Memory verses for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Pastor's Deserve their Pay (1 Tim. 5:18)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-07-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Pastors deserve their pay

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:18

 

            Message of the verse:  “18  For the Scripture says, "YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING," and ‘The laborer is worthy of his wages.’"  In this verse Paul quotes from Deu. 25:4, and he also quotes the words of Jesus that are written in the book of Luke.  Luke was a traveling companion and good friend of Paul, as they both were soldiers of the gospel of Christ.  It could be said that Luke has showed Paul what the Lord had said and he had wrote about it in Luke 10:7, so that Paul could record it here in 1Timothy.  The point of all of this is that those who are at work in a full-time position for the cause and work of Jesus Christ should earn their money from it.  Like the Lord Jesus said, “the laborer is worthy of his wages.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can honestly say that I have has little, if any, trouble with these truths in this verse.  I believe that Pastors and missionaries should be paid enough money so that they can live without financial problems.

 

The Word of God has reinforced the truth that I was taught before.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to trust the Lord to bring contentment to my life each day.  As He gives me His grace I would pray that He also make me content. 

 

Memory verses for the week:  Romans 5:19,20

Moreover the law entered that the transgression might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Elder's Responsibilities (1 Tim. 5:17)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-05-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus: Elder’s responsibilities

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:17

 

            Message of the verse:  “17 ¶ The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”  I am kind of at a lost as to exactly what Paul is referring to when he writes about a “double honor.”  In the first place Paul is speaking about someone who is an officer in the church and in this time there were Elders who ruled over the congregation and rulers who taught the Word of God to those in the congregation.  This could be what he is referring to when he speaks about a double honor, for maybe one person was dong both duties.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Paul is teaching that a believer should do the very best job that he can do when he is serving the Lord.  This is something that I surely need to keep in mind.

The Word of God was truly hard to understand for me today, however I believe it was teaching me to do a good job while serving the Lord.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Paul says in,   “1 Corinthians 10:31  Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”  This is my step of faith for today.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Help only Widows Who Need It (1 Tim 5:16)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-04-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Help only Widows Who Need It

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:16

 

            Meaning of the verse:  “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”  It seems to me that Paul is making the same point that he made in an earlier verse when he wrote about widows who had family to take care of them should let them take care of them and not be a burden to those in the church. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I believe that what I can learn from this verse is that I should not shirk my responsibilities for anything that I need to take care of.  I do this at times and should not do it at all.

The Word of God was convicting to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  To get my devotions done like I am suppose to get them done.  I am very tired and could give up on doing all of them real easy, but I need the strength of God to help me get them done.

Memory verses for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

 20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

21  so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

More Instructions for Widows (1 Tim. 5:14-15)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-03-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  More instructions for widows

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:14,15

            Message of the verse:  “ 14. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;  15.  for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.”  Paul has said in other places that some should not marry so that they can serve the Lord, however in the case of a young widow who has already experienced marriage he says that she should remarry and have children.  He also speaks about the woman’s role in the house, that this is her domain and that she should take care of things in her home.  If she does this then Satan will not have anything to accuse her or her family about.  Some of the widows must not have followed this advice because of what Paul says in verse fifteen.  He says there that some of these young widows have turned away from the faith and done things in their lives that have caused them to follow Satan.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is sometimes easy to follow Satan because of the craftiness of him.  He can appeal to the flesh and I as a believer can be convinced that I am doing the thing that God would have me to do and am actually doing what Satan would have me to do.  I need to continue to study the Word of God, to pray, to attend my church services, and to seek advice from others so that I can be assured that the things that I am doing are in the will of God and not what Satan would have me to do.

The Word of God was instructive to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I need everyday to keep up the things that I need to do in order to follow God and not give an opportunity to the Devil.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20,21

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Idol Hands are the Devil's Workshop (1 Tim. 5:13)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6-01-02

 

My Worship Time                                          Focus: Idol hands are the Devil’s workshop

Bible Reading & Meditation                         Reference:  1Timothy 5:13

 

            Message of the verse:  “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.”  Paul is giving or backing up the reason that he has already given as to why the young widows should not be on the list to be taken care of by the church.  In this verse he says that because of their youth these young widows would not be about the Lord’s business, but would be going from one house to another and would be spreading gossip.  The older women would not be prone to do this.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have a lot more time on my hands than when I was working and so I must make sure to occupy my time with things that are profitable to do.  This can sometimes create a problem so I must avoid those problem areas.

The Word of God has brought about conviction and instruction.

My Steps of Faith Today:  From the teaching of this passage I have been taught to avoid idleness.  I should keep myself busy doing the Lord’s business.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20

Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Breaking a Pledge (1 Tim. 5:12)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-30-02

 

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Breaking a pledge

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:12

 

            Message of the verse:  “thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.”  Paul’s concern with putting these younger widows on the list is that when the go on the list they will have made a pledge to serve the Lord in the church for the rest of their lives.  Because of their youth they will again  have a desire to marry and when they do that they will be guilty of breaking their pledge and will then have a problem with Satan who will accuse them of breaking their pledge.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I can think back to a vow or pledge that I made to read my Bible at least five minutes a day.  I made this and to pray five minutes a day in 1980, and there have been a few times when I have not fulfilled this vow and I became very guilty for not doing it.  The point is that no one should make a vow or pledge to the Lord without first thinking about it and when you make one you should be prepared to keep it.

The Word of God has brought a good reminder to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to continue to trust the Lord with the problems that are on my spiritual plate, trust Him that he will work them out for His honor and glory.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20

Moreover the law entered that offence might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.   

Younger Widows (1 Tim. 5:11)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-29-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Younger widows

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:11

            Message of the verse:  “But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married.”  In this section of the letter Paul moves to speak of younger widows.  As talked about before the older widows could be put on a list and thus be taken care of by the church, however these younger widows were not to be put on this list.  Paul starts to give some reasons as to why in this verse.  He says that the younger widows will miss the sexual activity of marriage and will then want to remarry.  I do not think that this is a problem for a younger widow to remarry if she marries a believer, however the church should not take care of her if she will soon remarry.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I think that sexual activities are a wonderful, God given activity for married people.  However they should not get in the way of the process of worshipping God. 

The work of God was very practical in what I learned from it today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  Continue to trust the Lord with the problems that I am facing.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20

More the law entered that offense might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

The Widows Life from 1 Timothy 5:10

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-28-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  The widow’s life

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:10

 

            Message of the verse:  “having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.”  Paul is speaking of more of the qualifications of a widow so that they can be put on the “list.”  1.  She must have a reputation of doing good works.  2.  She must take care of those strangers who are traveling and this probably refers to believers.  The author of the book of Hebrews speaks of this kind of behavior and says that one might be entertaining angels while doing this.  3.  Wash the feet of the saints.  Jesus did this right before his death on the cross.  4.  Assist those who are having a bad time with life.  Much persecution was going on during the time of this writing.  5.  Paul ends this section by saying that the widow must being doing all good works. 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  This is a tall order for anyone to fulfill, and I cannot expect this to happen in my life without the filling of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God brought teaching and conviction to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I surely need to trust the Lord to give me strength as I deal with the situation with Jimmy.  I need the Lord’s guiding and leading.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:19

“ Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

Widows on the List (1 Tim. 5:9)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-27-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Widows on the list

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:9

            Message of the verse:  “A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man.”  As one might expect to be put on the list has different meanings in different commentaries.  It seems to me that the meaning of this is that if a widow is above sixty years old, and this means she is not likely to marry again, she will be put on a list to be able to teach younger women in the church, or to minister in different ways.  (See Titus 2:3-5)  The verse goes on to say that another qualification would be that she is a husband of one man and I think that this means at one time for in Romans 7:2,3 is speaks of a woman marring again after her husband dies.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  One of the things I see in this verse is faithfulness to both God and to one’s spouse.  This is important to God and thus should be important to me.  I realize that there are many times in my marriage that it would have been easy to give up on it, and even now with all of the troubles that I am going through with Sandy it would be easy to quit, God’s Word says otherwise.  I need God’s grace in order to accomplish His will from His Word.

The Word of God brought comfort and conviction to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord to give me His grace to get along with my wife today.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 5:20

Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.  But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.

Take Care of Your Own (1 Tim. 5:8)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-24-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Take care of your own

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:8

 

            Message of the verse:  In verse four Paul stated that the children and grandchildren were supposed to care for those who are older in their family when it became necessary to do so.  He restates this in a negative way in verse eight and adds that if this is not being done by those who are believers then they are actually worse than the unbelievers.  The reason behind this is that most unbelievers would take care of their own family members when it became necessary.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  For some reason I do have a hard time, or at least did have a hard time recognizing this principle from Scripture.  I do see it more clearly now and know that it takes the love of God to do this and that I really need to care for this when it becomes necessary.

The Word of God brought wonderful teaching to me today.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I want to apply this principle or command to my life and allow the Spirit of God to work in my life so that I will be filled with His love to spurn me on to doing these things in my life.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in its lusts.

 

Reminder of Truth (1 Tim. 5:6-7)

SPIRITUALL DIARY FOR 5-23-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Reminder of truth

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:6,7

 

            Message of the verse: 6  “But she who gives herself to pleasure is dead while she is living.

7  Give orders to this effect, so that no evil may be said of anyone.”

 Paul is speaking of the widows in verse six, but in verse seven he gives Timothy a reminder of the truth that he has been writing about to him.  Verse six speaks of a widow who is probably not a believer and thus should not get the support like those who are believers.  They must think they are believers, but their lives do not show that they have any fruit in it.  The reason Paul reminds Timothy of the truths that he has been teaching is so that these widows and all in his church would live a life that is above reproach, so that no one in the community could say anything evil about them.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  To live without reproach is a wonderful testimony of the grace and mercy of God in my life.  The fact that God has done all of the work of salvation in my life should give me the incentive to live a life that will be pleasing to Him.

The Word of God brought conviction to me today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To live a life that is pleasing to God, and this can only be done by the power of His Holy Spirit and the teaching of His Word.

Memory verse for the Week:  Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in its lusts.

Widows Responsibilities (1 Tim. 5:5)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-22-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Widows responsibilities

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:5

 

            Message of the verse:  “5  Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.”

            This verse speaks about widows who have no means of support who are a part of the Church family.  The phrase “widows indeed,” speaks of these types of widows.  Paul says that these widows who are receiving help from the Church should be spiritual women.  They are to spend time in prayer and in helping others in the church family in ways that they can.  There were no social security or insurance of even good jobs for women in Paul’s day so there were many women who were in great need.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The principle of following God’s principles will make for a successful life and bring about happiness.  To help widows in need and to spend time in prayer are two such principles in God’s word.

The Word of God has been insightful and convicting to me today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  As I learn God’s commands about taking care of widows and older family members I want to follow and obey them.

 

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies, that you should obey it in its lusts.

 

Older Widows (1 Tim. 5:3-4)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5-21-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Older Widows

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  1Timothy 5:3,4

           

            Message of the verses:  “¶ Honor widows who are widows indeed;

but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.”

      “3 ¶ Give honour to widows who are truly widows.

4  But if any widow has children or children's children, let these see that it is right to take care of their family and their fathers and mothers: for this is pleasing in the eyes of God.”

            The first quotation is from the NAS95, and the second is from the Bible in Basic English of 1965.  Paul is speaking in this section about widows and in the first part about older widows.  He is giving guidelines on how to care for these widows.  God’s Word has much to say about the care of widows.  In verse three Paul says that honor must be given to widows who truly are widows.  He goes on in verse four to say that the first responsibility of the widow falls onto her family, on to her children and her grandchildren.  Paul is speaking about the total care of the widow, but most of all the financial care of the widow.

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  My mother is a widow and it is her 80^th birthday today.  My two sisters take better care of her than I do, and one reason is that they live a lot closer to her than I do.  Another reason is that I find it hard to visit because of wounds that I have that have not been totally healed.  Sandy has a difficult time at times when we visit with those of my family.  These verses really hit home with me.

The Word of God was very convicting to me today, it surely stepped on my toes.

My Steps of Faith Today:  I surely need to do better with my mom for who knows how long any of us have to live on this earth together.  I want to do better not only with my mom but also with Sandy’s parents.

Memory verse for the week:  Romans 6:12

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.