October 19: 2 Timothy 4:5-8
 
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 4:5
But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
 
Devotion:
One thing God asks of us, no matter where we are in life, is to try our best for Him. This is going to include good and bad times because we live in a world which is so diverse and complex. Because not all people are the same, we are going to agree with some and disagree with others – just because we are different and our hearts and minds focus on different things.
 
What God asks is for us to try to focus on the right things as much as possible. He has given us His word and continues to point us toward it at all times. We may be different from others, but God's Word is the same when read by them as by us. We may get different things from the bible than others, but we are still reading the same word.
 
God would like all of us to spread His Word to others; we are different and so when we tell others about God they may hear something different from when others tell them about God. Diversity here is the key. Just as the gospels give us different aspects from the same story of Christ, so our own ministries will give others a different picture of Christ.
 
And another thing... it is never too late to tell someone about God (so long as they are alive and we are alive, we can say something!) God wants people to get a great overall picture about Him, not just to focus on a single part of Him. When people only talk to me about the love of Jesus I want to remind them of the rest of the bible! When people only look into the Old Testament, I want to remind them about Jesus' life... We need to be diverse and encompass all aspects of God.
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you prefer the Old or New Testament?
 
Will you take them both together today?