[1 Timothy 4:13 KJV] “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine”.
In the first letter Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he instructed him clearly to spend his time and give his attention to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. Why would he give such a counsel among the many counsels that could have been given? Why would the apostle suggest reading, exhortation and doctrine for a young minister? The following tells us why;
The people of God are destroyed for lack of knowledge:
God rejects people who reject knowledge; and forgets those who forget His laws.
[Hosea 4:6 KJV] “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children”.
Those who delight in and meditate on the word and instructions of the Lord day and night get blessed:
[Psalm 1:1-3] “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. [2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord ; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. [3] And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper”.
Any man who meditates on the word of God gets blessed.
Wisdom and knowledge is the stability of salvation:
We have all the assurance from God that He will spoil the spoiler; and destroy the destroyer. He will overturn the tables and give us the victory; but wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of salvation in the times: without wisdom and knowledge your salvation is not strong. Even when God turns the tables and deliver us from the destroyer; we can maintain the salvation by wisdom and knowledge.
[Isaiah 33:1-6 KJV] “Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee! when thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end to deal treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee. O Lord , be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble. At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself the nations were scattered. And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller: as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them. The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure”.
I pray that you will not compromise your need for knowledge and wisdom. May the Lord help us to focus on reading. You may access my publications at simpebediako.com. God wants us to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. (See Colossians 1:9)
Be blessed; I love you!
Noah Simpe Bediako
