Be An Example

2 Kings 18; 2 Kings 19; 2 Chronicles 21; 1 Timothy 4

Scripture:
2 Kings 18:⁶ The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

1 Timothy 4: ⁸For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:¹²Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Observation:
What great passages stood out for me today. The first is how the favor of the Lord blessed the widow. She obeyed the word of the prophet and the Lord blessed her in a time of famine. Obedience is critical to blessing and favor. The other two passages i choose come from the 1 Timothy 4. Both speak of self reflection and the need for a righteous lifestyle which comes through godliness.

Application:
I know God has called me to great things, but right now His calling for this season of my life is for my life to be an example in speech, life, love, faith and purity. I am called to train myself towards godliness. I see a lot of men of God that have lost the passion for holiness and they rely to much on their gifts and talents and not enough on the calling of God. I have seen in my life how easy it is for me to forget the calling which God has on my life. I am to live as an example, to be separated and holy unto the Lord. Somewhere grace has been taken to far. I am realizing that a righteous lifestyle and godliness, is a product in the lives of those who truly love the Lord. They seek to live for Him and not themselves. As I look into my life i see so much pride. The Holy Spirit convicts me of it daily and I stabd guilty. I know i stand by the grace of God, but maturity calls me to a lifestyle of holiness and godliness. It's time to grow up, as scripture says, "when I was a child I acted like a child, but now i put away childish things..." I live for God, not for the approval of man, which too often is my downfall. I choose God, I live for Him. May I be an example in speech, lifestyle, love, faith and purity to the world.

Prayer:
Father thank You for speaking to me and reminding me of the incredible priveledge I have in being a servant of the most High. You did not need me, but You choose me. I stand today before You in grace and humility, knowing that my ways are not always Yours. Forgive me for childish things. Forgive me for trying too often to fit in. You have not called me to fit in, You have called me to lead. I repent of my ways and for leaning on my own abilities. I am simply a messenger, and it is Your word I must seek. I pray for wisdom, discernment and godliness to rule my heart. Change my heart, mold me and hsape me into the man You have called me to be. I am Yours, now and forever.
Amen.