Bringing Comfort To Those Who Need It

301 - Today's Prime Time Devo comes from 2Ti 4:9-13, “ Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica--Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. 12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come--and the books, especially the parchments. (2 Tim 4:9-13) The body of the letter to Timothy is finished and now Paul wraps it up with items of personal interest. How do these items play out in light of 2 Tim 3:16,17? How are they profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, and equipping the man of God? Let's chew on that a little today. Remember, Paul had just stated that the end is near for him. His martyrdom is close at hand, but it sure doesn't look like he is letting this certainty keep him from his ministry! The only hint of such concern is the plea to Timothy to come to him quickly! He asks Timothy to bring three things to him....books, a jacket, and Mark! All three will serve as a source of comfort for Paul in his last days! The jacket is to help warm Paul for the coming winter, but will he even be alive when winter comes? What an optimist! Or maybe we should say, what a believer! For Paul knows the truth of Ps 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.” And so he lives out his days with no concern for the Lord's departure date for him. He asks Mark to come along with Timothy because he would be useful in a role of ministering to Paul's needs while in prison. This also speaks of a comforting role to Paul. Finally he asks for his books, especially the parchments, (books were like paper scrolls, and parchments were made out of the skins of animals and therefore more durable. This request is like Paul asking Timothy to bring his personal paperback and hard cover books to him. These books and parchments are likely the Scriptures, which are a great source of comfort. Even as Paul has written previously in Ro 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. Yes, this passage in 2 Timothy speaks of the comfort we all need in our own hours of trial. Comfort that comes through physical needs met, fellowship needs met, and spiritual needs met. May we seek ways to provide such comfort to others as their Day approaches.