Ninth Day of Lent - Thursday - Mar 13
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The Ninth Day of Lent transports me back to my childhood, memorizing these Scriptures at my mother’s knee. We moved often and traveled between moves. My father, Clyde Kennedy, received a plaque from United Airlines for circumnavigating the globe 3.5 times on their airlines—back when few people flew. Every time anyone of us left, we stood in a circle and quoted the 121st Psalm—The Traveler’s Psalm. I printed out a 3x5 card size version to send with my children to their summer camps.
I look at the hills and ask where does my help come from—from the Lord—the Creator of heaven and earth. Why the hills? The science of earth transformation—the evolution of mountains and lowlands—teaches us of the magnitude of God’s creation. Not a limiting six-earth-day creation, which I think is a misread of the Scripture, but an expansive recognition of the infinite power of God to set in motion the shaping of worlds that continues to this day. The earth explodes in volcanoes and new mountainous islands emerge from the ocean. God set in motion an incredible life-death cycle for all of creation from the stars in the sky to the minutia on earth. The hills bring that impressive nature to the forefront of the mind.
The God, who sets in motion land shifts that shapes mountains and hills; the God whose power surpasses all others provides help to us. Our help comes from the Lord.
This Psalm would have been one of the teachings taught by Timothy’s mother and grandmother that the apostle Paul mentioned in his New Testament epistle to Timothy. The young man grew up at the knees of two great women—mother and grandmother, who taught him the Scriptures. His training at the hand of two spiritual and godly women prepared him to be a partner to Paul and minister to the growing church of Ephesus.
False teachers rose up, as happens in all developing churches. The Ephesian teachers suggested various things such as no resurrection, or the resurrection had already happened, or the gnostic perceptions of the dualistic evil/good god and the asceticism they demanded. Paul restates his first premise of authority. In this lesson particularly, he encourages Timothy, reminding him that he learned the truth from his grandmother, Lois and mother, Eunice.
As a pastor dealing with competing interests in a church, I empathize with Timothy…and love Paul’s words, “6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” NIV
Fan the gift from God into a flame—a full fire—which Timothy received from Paul’s laying of hands. Timothy didn’t come by it on his own. He was not self-appointed. He was chosen of God and recognized by the authority of the Apostle Paul. I imagine the following words made Timothy’s spirit soar. The Spirit of God doesn’t make us timid. The Spirit of God gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Again, love dominates the work of true ministers. If we are doing ministry without being loving, we need to revisit our work. But being loving doesn’t have to be timid either. Moms love their kids and yet are not timid, which may be why Paul mentioned Lois and Eunice. They might have shown that very spirit of power, love and self-discipline. May we all find that power, love and discipline.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Season of Lent Bible Readings
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 121;Isaiah 51:1-3;2 Timothy 1:3-7&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Ninth Day of Lent
Psalm 121
Isaiah 51:1-3
2 Timothy 1:3-7
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
The “Traveler’s Psalm” is worth memorizing in its whole, but at least verses 1 & 2.
Psalm 121
King James Version (KJV)
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
2 Timothy 1:3-7
King James Version (KJV)
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, We praise your name and ask that you bring the spirit of power, love and self-discipline into our lives that we might do your ministry in ways that bring you pleasure. In Jesus name. Amen.
Conclusion
On the Ninth Day of Lent, the Psalmist puts our life in perspective to the Lord. We receive our help from God. The Traveler’s Psalm reminds us that our goings and comings are monitored and guided by God and we can trust God completely. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah gives the good prognosis that Israel will be saved, transforming the desert into a garden like Eden. But the most encouragement comes from Paul to the young Timothy. Remember what your mom and grandma taught.
Since our source is the gift of God via the Holy Spirit, we don’t need to be timid. Instead, be courageous, empowered and self-disciplined, but surround it with love.
Those guidelines work for us, today.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. Please like if it was meaningful. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins, will also do.
I look at the hills and ask where does my help come from—from the Lord—the Creator of heaven and earth. Why the hills? The science of earth transformation—the evolution of mountains and lowlands—teaches us of the magnitude of God’s creation. Not a limiting six-earth-day creation, which I think is a misread of the Scripture, but an expansive recognition of the infinite power of God to set in motion the shaping of worlds that continues to this day. The earth explodes in volcanoes and new mountainous islands emerge from the ocean. God set in motion an incredible life-death cycle for all of creation from the stars in the sky to the minutia on earth. The hills bring that impressive nature to the forefront of the mind.
The God, who sets in motion land shifts that shapes mountains and hills; the God whose power surpasses all others provides help to us. Our help comes from the Lord.
This Psalm would have been one of the teachings taught by Timothy’s mother and grandmother that the apostle Paul mentioned in his New Testament epistle to Timothy. The young man grew up at the knees of two great women—mother and grandmother, who taught him the Scriptures. His training at the hand of two spiritual and godly women prepared him to be a partner to Paul and minister to the growing church of Ephesus.
False teachers rose up, as happens in all developing churches. The Ephesian teachers suggested various things such as no resurrection, or the resurrection had already happened, or the gnostic perceptions of the dualistic evil/good god and the asceticism they demanded. Paul restates his first premise of authority. In this lesson particularly, he encourages Timothy, reminding him that he learned the truth from his grandmother, Lois and mother, Eunice.
As a pastor dealing with competing interests in a church, I empathize with Timothy…and love Paul’s words, “6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” NIV
Fan the gift from God into a flame—a full fire—which Timothy received from Paul’s laying of hands. Timothy didn’t come by it on his own. He was not self-appointed. He was chosen of God and recognized by the authority of the Apostle Paul. I imagine the following words made Timothy’s spirit soar. The Spirit of God doesn’t make us timid. The Spirit of God gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Again, love dominates the work of true ministers. If we are doing ministry without being loving, we need to revisit our work. But being loving doesn’t have to be timid either. Moms love their kids and yet are not timid, which may be why Paul mentioned Lois and Eunice. They might have shown that very spirit of power, love and self-discipline. May we all find that power, love and discipline.
Thanks be to God.
All Scriptures printed below are in King James Version for copyright purposes. However, clicking on the verse locations will take you to Biblegateway.com where the text is linked to more contemporary versions.
Prayer: Almighty God, Open my eyes that I might see. Open my mind that I might understand. Open my heart that I might make your words a part of me. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Amen
Season of Lent Bible Readings
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm 121;Isaiah 51:1-3;2 Timothy 1:3-7&version=KJV;ERV;GNT;NCV;NIV (multiple versions)
Ninth Day of Lent
Psalm 121
Isaiah 51:1-3
2 Timothy 1:3-7
Daily Bible Verses to Memorize for Meditating
The “Traveler’s Psalm” is worth memorizing in its whole, but at least verses 1 & 2.
Psalm 121
King James Version (KJV)
121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Single Bible Study chapter to study
2 Timothy 1:3-7
King James Version (KJV)
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1.
2.
3.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
APPLY:
Today, I learned _____________________________________and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, We praise your name and ask that you bring the spirit of power, love and self-discipline into our lives that we might do your ministry in ways that bring you pleasure. In Jesus name. Amen.
Conclusion
On the Ninth Day of Lent, the Psalmist puts our life in perspective to the Lord. We receive our help from God. The Traveler’s Psalm reminds us that our goings and comings are monitored and guided by God and we can trust God completely. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah gives the good prognosis that Israel will be saved, transforming the desert into a garden like Eden. But the most encouragement comes from Paul to the young Timothy. Remember what your mom and grandma taught.
Since our source is the gift of God via the Holy Spirit, we don’t need to be timid. Instead, be courageous, empowered and self-disciplined, but surround it with love.
Those guidelines work for us, today.
Go out and be ready for God to do mighty things in your life.*
Thank you for visiting ChapLynne’s Daily Encouragement and Bible Study. Please like if it was meaningful. God bless you.
*If you do not know the Lord as your personal Savior and you are seeking, please contact me. A genuine and simple prayer, asking God into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins, will also do.
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Replies
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Self discipline. I am most happy when i am living a life of discipline the devil is all around trying to break my will at times, but in whatever form he comes, I always pick myself back uo, dust off my own will, and get back to what I was taught from the cradle roll on. The world with all it's temptations looks good for a time, but it is always freeing to walk with God. If i can be a back slider, i can also slide forward right into Gods arms. I have given up sweets for lent. Am also starting on a journey to read the whole Bible. Such n interesting book. A best seller. I know most of the Bible. I also know that i can do better and be better. I am trying to spend time with God each day. Yes, i like Timothy had a grandmother and a mother who instilled Gods words in me. I truly believe that if one has professed the Lord and shed blood that we may wonder from the fold, but Jesus will welcome us bqck. I want to honor the trinity. Straight and marrow is the gate. God loves unconditionally. That's comforting to know..0
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OBSERVE:
Take a moment and write three observations of the verses. What strikes you? An observation is an observable fact from the Word.
1. I thank God, whom I serve, I constantly remember you in my prayers.
2. I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.
3. For the Spirit God gave us power, love and self-discipline.
INTERPRETATION:
What do you interpret these verses to mean for you today?
Thank you God, You gave me joy through power, love and self-discipline.
APPLY:
Today, I learned ___God gave me power, love and self-discipline.__and apply it to my life.
Prayer of Encouragement
Dear God, We praise your name and ask that you bring the spirit of power, love and self-discipline into our lives that we might do your ministry in ways that bring you pleasure. In Jesus name. Amen.0 -
I hear sometimes, "It don't take all that." But it takes everything we have and are to keep that faith alive and strong, there are so many things satan is attacking us with. When I was growing up, it was a shame not to believe. Even if you didn't believe in God, you didn't admit it. It was a shame to be gay. Now, it seems just the opposite. May God bless us to withstand the attacks if the enemy!!0
