The drink offerin g

I'm a bit reflective today.

I was doing my morning reading and I came across Paul's last words, or those that we have in any case.

He was nearing the end. A tired, old body was giving out. He had been under house arrest or worse for more than two years. He was basically imprisoned and the thing he loved most, establishing churches and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, had effectively been taken from him.

He writes to his young charge, Timothy: "1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

See, with all humility, that's what we strive for. We do all what we do -- and I trust that you are out there doing things for God -- so that one day when the Lord appears (and He will appear) -- we can have the crown of righteousness.

It's more important than new clothes or new cars or new houses or new anything. It's more important than anything you can imagine, and I'm sure you can imagine quite a few things.

We've given up a lot to do this ministry, but not nearly what Jesus gave up so that we might have life. I'm poured out like a drink offering indeed.

But God is with me, God is for me and if so, then who or what can be against me.