2 Timothy 4:16-18 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸ The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Ever dream of rescuing people? There are two types in need of rescue. The first is ignorant of the danger and the second is arrogant in the face of danger. Do we choose who to rescue or is rescue alone the aim? If we knew that one in need of rescue was to kill the innocent in the future, would it give you pause in the effort to rescue? Are the innocent the only ones worthy of rescue?

Looking at today’s quote I am struck with the wording “so that the message might be proclaimed”. We must return to the parable of the sower to understand that we are responsible to spread the message and not concern ourselves with the condition of the hearer. This is the heart of the evangelist. God prepares the heart to receive the Word, not the evangelist.

Granted the easier work is to disciple the saved because they have the eyes and ears to receive and perceive the truth. Discipleship is necessary and I do not dismiss the necessity. It is just safer. Paul speaks to the dangers of evangelism in the first line above, “all deserted me.” True evangelism is not for the faint of heart. It goes where it is needed and unwanted. It faces stern opposition, threats and worse.

We do not get to choose how the Lord might use us. He is Lord and the condition of our hearts is due to His making us what we are to be in service.

Revelation 2:4 English Standard Version (ESV) But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

The Amplified version ads [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. That does not happen instantly, it happens little by little. We might not even notice it because it is so gradual. We don’t question our love and commitment, we question the love and commitment of others. We do self-examinations about sin nature, attitudes, language, even sincerity but not our love.

Part of that might have something to do with the depth of love God identifies in 1 Corinthians 13. It is tough to match up to agape love, God’s perfect love. We write it off as being human, like it is an excuse. We are not perfect and won’t be until we are translated. That is just another excuse.

We should look back at our behaviors when we first came to love the Lord. What did we do then that may have fallen by the wayside. With all relationships the first sign of slippage is failure to remember to say thank you. We start taking the relationship for granted. He will never leave us and in that security we don’t see ourselves drifting off into complacency.

Isaiah 29:13-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹³ And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, ¹⁴ therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

Wisdom vanishes and discernment is hidden. The heart that once loved God with depth is found to be shallow when it concerns itself.