As we think about what we are thankful for in this season, I want to encourage you. We can all have times where we feel overwhelmed, there is too much going on, or the task or day ahead of me is simply too much. The good news is, there is always encouragement and blessings in God's Word.
I am writing to Timothy, my true son in the faith. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace. 1 Timothy 1:2
Every letter of Paul he begins with "grace and mercy," do you know why? Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles. The standard Gentile greeting, kind of like our "How are you?" Was simply saying the word "grace." The word translated grace here carries with it the idea of favor. So when Paul is greeting us through his letters, he is not only blessing us with a divine grace, but we are also people who have been blessed with divine favor. Favor is every kind of blessing, peace, joy, rest and a whole host of other things that make our lives rich. We are still blessed with this grace today as we read and study God's word.
Then Paul proclaims peace. The common greeting even in the Middle East today is peace. It is not just generic peace he is proclaiming to us but the peace that God can give to calm any storm or situation in our lives. He is proclaiming a powerful pronouncement over our lives that we need to accept and apply in the daily grind of life.
In the books of first and second Timothy and Titus Paul adds the word "mercy" to the greeting. This is especially important for our topic today. These three books were written as personal books in times of challenge for the two men, Timothy and Titus. If you are going through something difficult today you need to hear this, but then again if not today it may be tomorrow or next week but we all have times of struggle. In the first book, Timothy was overwhelmed by the task of pastoring the largest church in the world at the time. In the second book, persecution had begun some had been killed, some abandoned the faith and even the trusted leadership he had raised up, had abandoned him because of the testing of their faith. Titus was left to finish a job Paul had started. Crete was famous for people who were liars, cheats, and scoundrels. Titus was working diligently to establish Christian leadership among this mindset.
The task for both men was overwhelming, so Paul pronounces "mercy." This is a special outpouring of God's kindness and help. It is the supply from heaven of all that is needed to get them through the difficult time. For us, it is important to remember that God always provides blessings for every trial and difficulty. Whatever you are going through today, you are not alone. Rest on his mercy today. Just like Timothy and Titus, God has a call and plan for your life, and you will face impossible challenges to fulfill that call. He expects you to rely on his mercy, that kindness, and help that will give you all you need to successfully fulfill your call!
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