September 16 Daily Devotional

Monthly Theme:

In September we read Paul's letter to Titus and his very last letter, called 2 Timothy. Paul's concern is that the true gospel be preserved and proclaimed by a faithful church.

Bible Reading:

2 Timothy 1:13–18

Bible Text:

Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us (2 Tim. 1:14).

Devotional:

Awaiting execution in a prison at Rome, Paul's main burden is to take good care of what God has entrusted to him: the gospel of grace in Christ.

As the guardian of this "deposit of faith." Paul will soon take his leave. Now it is Timothy's turn to guard the same faith. In this letter we witness the changing of the guard from the first generation to the second, from the apostles to their disciples.

Notice how this succession takes place. Paul does not hand over a dignity of office. Rather, Timothy must be a trustee of the facts and teachings that the Lord first gave to Paul. "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus" (v. 13). Now it is Timothy's task to guard and propagate the apostolic Christian faith.

The faith must be guarded, says Paul, with help from "the Holy Spirit who lives in us." By "us" Paul refers not only to Timothy and himself but to the whole church. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in Christ's church is the final guarantee that the deposit of faith will not be lost.

Protecting the Christian faith is not merely a matter of learning and remembering. It is that, too, but it is especially a matter of relying on the Spirit. For he alone can bring us to Christ and keep us there.

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published in 1994. This edition is copyright by Faith Alive Christian Resources, from whom may be ordered Daylight, the predecessor of Twilight.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this edition of Twilight are from the New International Version

Be sure to read the "Preface" and the "Acknowledgments" by the author.