In this daily Bible reading Paul speaks to his faithful companion, Timothy, who was also spreading the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. Paul tells Timothy ‘to fight the good fight, keeping Faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their Faith.’ Gaining Faith in Jesus Christ is a wonderful thing, but it takes perseverance to sustain that Faith.
Jesus told a parable about various soil’s on which seed fell. In one soil the seed did not grow. In another soil, the seed grew rapidly at first, but then it died. However, one soil was good soil. In this soil the seed grew and produced much fruit.
The seed, Jesus said, was the Word of God. The soils were people. In the first case, the Word of God was snatched away by Satan and did not take root. In the second case, the Word was accepted with great enthusiasm. Later it was rejected when trials came into people’s lives, and they became dejected. In the third case, the Word was accepted and people’s Faith grew and produced much fruit in their lives.
Paul told Timothy that there will be believers who do not continue to believe in Jesus. Initial belief in Jesus is a wonderful thing, but it must be nurtured and cared for. It will require perseverance and endurance to sustain this belief for a lifetime. However, it is well worth doing. It will yield great benefits during this life and beyond.
