Scripture:
2 Thessalonians 3:6, 10-12
Tue, 8 November 2022

Discipleship Personal Responsibility and Self-Discipline

Observation:

What do these texts tell us about the “busyness” of certain Thessalonians?

Deeper Reflection
THE THESSALONIAN BELIEVERS WHO WERE IDLING around were busy, but in the wrong things. They were “not busy at work, but busybodies” (v.11): “Having no work of their own to keep themselves occupied, they had become meddlesome in the affairs of others.”13 And to Paul, the problem of walking in idleness was so severe, that he gives this rather extreme “command”: “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (v.10). Every culture is likely to have such a similar proverb, and Paul adopts “a maxim applied no doubt hundreds of times by industrious workmen as they forbade a lazy apprentice to sit down to dinner”14, and makes it into an apostolic “command”.Behind this behaviour of not working but living idly is having no sense of personal responsibility and self-discipline. We may by extension apply the principles of personal responsibility and self-discipline from the realm of physical work to the realm of our spiritual life. It is necessary for us to grow from just being fed the Word of God by others to feeding ourselves as well. We take personal responsibility for our own spiritual growth by feeding ourselves, which requires self-discipline. There is this saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” To feed ourselves the Word, we need to learn how to read the Scriptures properly and correctly – “accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). Are you fishing abundantly from the Scriptures and feeding yourself richly for a lifetime?
13 John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 192 14 John R. W. Stott, Thessalonians, 192
Application:

What are the wrong things that I am busy with and what changes do I need
to make?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be strengthened in discipline for godly living
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 10:11-12, 14-19
Tue, 26 September 2023

A Man of High Esteem

Observation:

What significant observations can you make about Daniel being called “man of high esteem” (vv.11, 19)?

Deeper Reflection
One of the heavenly beings called Daniel “man of high esteem” (v.11). This honour was bestowed on Daniel emphatically, in that it was repeated twice (v.19). This “high esteem” did not come from man, but from God Himself. God gave this honour to Daniel toward the end of his life when God called him to “enter into rest” (Dan 12:13). As a youth, Daniel “made up his mind not to defile himself with the king’s choice food” (Dan 1:8), and as an old man, he was faithful to God in spending time with Him in his “three times a day” devotion, even if it means to be thrown into the lions’ den (Dan 6:10). Daniel was finishing well in his life with “humbling yourself before your God” (v.12). When we think of finishing well in terms of successful accomplishments, we must be careful that we are not exalting ourselves.It is not for us to see ourselves in any way as a person of high esteem before God. It is for God to say that to us (2 Cor 10:17-18). Daniel never saw himself as a “man of high esteem”. A key emphasis in Daniel 10 is Daniel being greatly overwhelmed by the holiness and glory of God represented by the heavenly being with an awesome appearance (Dan 10:5-10, 15-18). And it was in this encounter with God when he was called “man of high esteem” that Daniel said, “How can such a servant of my Lord talk with such as my Lord?”50 (v.17). The man highly esteemed by God saw his unworthiness before God.
50 I have theologically translated “my lord” to “my Lord”, since the heavenly being is a representation of God.
Application:

What does being highly esteemed by God mean to me?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for pastors and staff: To be able to see oneself as God sees
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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