2 Timothy 1 Devotional

Courage Rooted in Grace

“He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.”2 Timothy 1:9 (BSB)

Writing from prison, Paul remembers Timothy's tears and the sincere faith that lived first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (1:4-5). He urges him to stir up God's gift like a fire, because what God gives is not fearfulness but power, love, and self-control (1:6-7). Timothy must not be ashamed of the gospel or of Paul's chains (1:8).

The reason for that courage is what God has done. He saved and called his people, not on the basis of what they had done, but because of his own purpose and the grace he gave them in Christ Jesus before time began (1:9). Christ has now appeared, has broken death's power, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (1:10). So Paul, though deserted by many (1:15), is not ashamed. He knows the one he has trusted and is sure God can keep safe what he has placed in his hands (1:12). Courage for today does not come from your own nerve but from the God who keeps what you entrust to him.

To think about: Where is fear holding you back today, and what would change if you trusted God to guard what you entrust to him?