Thoroughly Equipped
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Picture two people setting out on a mountainside hike one early winter morning. It’s a beautiful morning with bright sunshine that makes it feel warmer than it really is. It’s so nice the couple decides to extend their hike a little further up the mountain side. Then without warning the wind turns from the north, clouds roll in, and suddenly the hikers find themselves lost in a blinding blizzard. The hikers are thoroughly unprepared for this turn of events. They’re wearing just light jackets and have only a few junk food snacks with them. They are inexperienced and soon are in grave danger.
Contrast this with another couple on the same mountain on the same day. The storm also catches them by surprise, but they are experienced hikers and know how to respond. They have additional winter gear and a supply of nutritious snacks in their backpacks. They quickly build a shelter and start a fire to protect them against the driving snow. They are thoroughly equipped to ride out the storm.
Spiritually speaking, we can also be thoroughly equipped or thoroughly unprepared for the things that life throws at us. That’s why I always encourage people to read the Bible. It is the word of God and as the passage above points out it is useful in many ways: “for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” You cannot completely control what challenges and opportunities you will face in life, but you can control how you prepare. Being a diligent student of the word of God will prepare you well, ensuring you are “thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Are you reading and studying Scripture as part of your daily preparation for life?
Having begun as a guest speaker in 2005, Dan was appointed Interim Pastor in 2008 and has been serving Maple Root Baptist ever since. As a small group leader and Chaplin for the Connecticut Tigers, Dan has a heart for the lost and the God that saves them.