April 8 ~ 2 Timothy 3:13-16
But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Years ago, I attended a gala dinner at a posh hotel in Little Rock. I was handling public relations for a company whose president was an honoree at this event, so several employees were brought along as guests. Most of us were in our late twenties and early thirties at the time, and as we sat around this beautifully appointed dinner table, we whispered, “Do you know what fork we use? What is that spoon for? Are we supposed to use this glass or that one?” Most of us had grown up dining at a table in or near the kitchen… serving our meals “family-style” from community bowls placed in the center. We had one fork, a napkin, and maybe a knife - if roast beef or pork chops were on the menu!
At this dinner, we could have easily been intimidated and embarrassed… particularly if someone seated at our table had actually known what was what and decided to show us and treat us like we were ignorant! They might have even persuaded us to do something that was socially inappropriate or convinced us to do something improper… like using our soup spoon to eat our dessert. I know… pretty small potatoes in the scheme of things! Still, we were glad this did not happen. When we got home, I looked up information on formal table settings and studied what the utensils and dishes were for… in case I ever found myself in that situation again!
In our daily living, there are plenty of people who are ready to persuade us to speak or behave in a particular manner… to believe certain things because, “He/she said it was true!” It’s somewhat the “If-someone-told-you-to-jump-off-a-cliff-would-you-do-it?” syndrome. We often try to use the excuse that “everyone else is doing it,” or “So-and-so said this would be okay.” Paul is reminding us in this scripture passage that we have the ultimate “rule book” on this… God’s Holy Bible. We can live by the world’s rules… or we can study scripture and see what God has to say about the situations and challenges of our daily lives. We can listen to the media, friends, co-workers, acquaintances, or even the cashier in the check-out line at the store who wants to tell us that he/she just heard that the world is flat and the lunar landings were fabricated on a movie set in Hollywood! OR… we can listen to the word of God… hear His answers whispered to us in prayer… study the examples of Godly people in our midst… and we can choose to do what is right.
God may not tell you which spoon or fork to use at a fancy dinner. But when it comes to the important stuff, He will always give you the right answers. Who are you listening to these days?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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