Paul is near the end of his life, facing persecution in a prison. Many of the young men he mentored had left the faith or turned against him. How can Paul give thanks? He speaks of his confidence in his own victorious future with Jesus (2 Timothy 4:6-8) and his confidence and relationship in his beloved son in the faith, Timothy. What makes this special is that he doesn’t just give thanks FOR Timothy but also shares his thanksgiving WITH Timothy. He’s not content to give thanks to God in prayer. He wants Timothy to realize how precious he is to him as he faces the end of his life. When was the last time you sent a note sharing your thanksgiving to God FOR them and then shared it with them? Don’t withhold your blessing another day from someone precious to you. They may urgently need it at this moment in their walk with Jesus. “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3.
January 21
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good