Scripture:
“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.” 1st Tim 6:20
Observation:
When I read the full chapter 6, Paul is almost pleading with Timothy (“O Timothy…). There is a lot to remember and apply as a disciple. It reads like Paul understands that I can be quickly distracted towards irrelevant things and away from a true worshipful delight of our Savior.
Application:
1st Timothy 6 is a strong chapter. As I have written before, Paul has this knack to get to the point quickly and produce a list of things to do and pay attention to. Timmy is at least a 2nd generation Christian (if not a 3rd). He became a believer due to the testimony of his mother Lois and grandmother Eunice. He is now getting into being a pastor and leading congregations. So what is Paul telling him? Be strong in doctrine, look out for deviations of the Truth—but in particular “Pay attention to your heart; Pay attention to your soul.” How?
I wrote last week about Colossians 3:1 “If then you have been raised with Christ…” 1st Tim 3:20 is a continuation of that thought. The operative concept here is to think; consider; contemplate; meditate; wonder, envision, imagine, visualize, ponder, reflect, deliberate, converse, and any other synonym that can be thought of. [Side note and not meant to condemn: How often when I am around other men do I not talk about the Word of God but gravitate quickly to last night’s scores? I am guilty of the second often. When I am asked “how are you doing?” it is not very often I reply “I am treasuring what I read in 3rd Hezekiah 3:3 this morning. It is so rich…”]
How much do I even consciously consider guarding the deposit entrusted to me? What does that even look like? How would I go about “guarding?” Here is a hard question that just came to me: “What do I guard?”
If the only answer that I can think of is “my salvation” (a Sunday School answer) then I think I am missing the mark. I can’t guard my salvation because it is a gift of God-I cannot appropriate it, grab it, hold on to it, or anything like that. So what then do I guard?
This is an open ended question. I can think of a few things. But this is something that I can take away from this scripture reference-if I am not thinking about this frequently (if not constantly) then I am without doubt missing the mark.
Prayer:
Lord God: If I don’t delight in You and that in all my ways then I think I can be quickly adrift. All the things that You wrote to Timmy I can get bogged down in and lose sight of You. I remember these exhortations: Ps 1:2 “…but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His law he meditates day and night.”; Ps 35:27 “Let those who delight in my righteousness shout for joy and be glad and say evermore: “Great is the Lord who delights in the welfare of his servant.”; and goodness so many parts of Ps 119.
You, O God, remind us that no matter what we lay our hands and hearts to, we are to always delight in You. How can I guard my heart? How can I guard the deposit entrusted to me? How can I always treasure Your precious Gift? Delight!! AMEN.