“Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are his,’ and, ‘Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.’ (2 Timothy 2:19)
Every time another election comes around, you hear a lot of doomsday talk about the economy, the state of the world, the future of happiness. You occasionally hear that kind of doomsday talk about Christianity and the church, too. Every new problem is treated as evidence that the next generation is on a slippery slope in the wrong direction.
And these are serious times for the church and our nations. Paul’s warnings to Timothy about understanding and communicating God’s Word truthfully weren’t just good ideas. The consequences of false teaching and false believing are eternally bad. They bring pain today, tomorrow, and forever.
But the future of God is never at stake. And the future of his children is never in doubt. He doesn’t lose people to false teaching. His people reject untruth about him and his Word; they turn from the “wickedness” of believing lies about who Jesus is and what it means to walk with him. And these inscriptions Paul quotes say they always will.
Think: Are you ever tempted to see bad news about the economy or the rise of false teaching about Jesus as evidence that God is losing control? What’s wrong with that idea?
Pray: Thank God that human sin and ignorance never make him any less powerful. Thank him that he is always strong enough to keep his promises to you.
Do: Listen this week for negative predictions about the future of the government, the economy, and the church. When you hear them, remember that God’s power never goes up and down like election polls or stock market averages.