Sunday Scripture

Today I'm continuing this Sunday Scripture series from my simple study of a little devotional journal titled Reflections: The Woman God Sees, by Jane L. Fryar.   This was a journal my dear young friends Sam and Jennifer gave me as part of a set for a gift one year.  It has a daily devotional one works through -- I think around a month's worth.  It was a blessing to me when I worked through it, so I thought I would share here.

For this week, the featured verse was 1 Timothy 1:16.   The challenge was given,  "Write about a time Jesus displayed His patient love for you.  Thank Him for it."  I chose to SOAP 1 Timothy 1:16 as I considered this assignment.

S= "Nevertheless, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Christ Jesus might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting." (1 Timothy 1:16) 

O= In the Scofield Study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles verses 12-20 in 1 Timothy 1 as "Paul's personal witness and charge to Timothy." 

In 1 Timothy 1:14-15 Paul has just explained God's love and grace as the reason that "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief."  

    Then he added, "Nevertheless, for this cause I obtained mercy", so we could say it like this:

"Even though I was the chief of sinners, I obtained mercy from God for this reason -- that in me others might see an example of Christ's patience with sinners and trust Him as their own Savior."

Cross-reference for "believe" -- 1 Timothy 4:3 speaks of "them who believe and know the truth."

A note concerning Hebrews 11:39 explains, "The essence of faith consists in believing and receiving what God has revealed, and may be defined as that trust in the God of the Scriptures and in Jesus Christ whom He has sent, which receives Him as Lord and Savior, and impels to loving obedience and good works."

Cross-references for "life everlasting" --

1 Timothy 4:8 refers to "the life that now is, and that which is to come."

Matthew 7:14 tells us, "Narrow is the gate, and hard is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

A= Warren Wiersbe asks in Be Faithful, "In what sense is Paul an example to lost sinners who believe on Christ?  None of us has had the same experience that Paul had on the Damascus Road.  We did not see a light, fall to the ground, and hear Jesus speak from heaven.  But Paul is a pattern for all lost sinners, for he was the chief of sinners!  He is proof that the grace of God can change any sinner."

In answer to the challenge, "Write about a time Jesus displayed His patient love for you.  Thank Him for it", this is what I wrote:

"Certainly the foremost time was when I finally came to Him for salvation.  I had heard the gospel numerous times but always rejected it.  Different factors affected my thinking -- the Christians I knew were weird; I wanted to "live my life" before making such a commitment; and so on.  God patiently continued to draw me, and finally allowed me to come up against a serious difficulty which brought me to the end of myself and forced me to confront my need of Him.  What longsuffering He displayed to this sinner!  Thank You, Jesus!"

At the end of this day's devotional is a section titled "Seeing Through Jesus' Eyes".  It asks, "Think of a child who looks up to you, a co-worker who admires you, someone at church who respects you.  How might you gently shift his or her focus to Jesus, the Savior who has shown you such patient love?"

I answered: "Respond to any admiration of me by giving glory and praise to God.  Remind the person that any good quality they see in me is God-given and does not come naturally to me.

P= "Lord, I cannot ever thank You enough for the patient love You have shown me.  You were and are so longsuffering, not only with me but with all sinners!  

I praise and thank You also that You are patient with me every day.  You are the God of patience (Romans 15:5).  Even though I may often be slow in understanding or even in obeying, You patiently work in my life to bring about spiritual growth.  

I praise You for the ways You show Your patient love to me.  Help me to point others to Your love, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

There's the Sunday Scripture for this week!