In Touch Devotional 14th December 2023 Message by Dr. Charles Stanley
Read In Touch Devotional 14th December 2023 – Thursday Daily Devotional Message Written by Dr. Charles Stanley.
TOPIC: Ending Well
SCRIPTURE: Luke 12:15-21
Today’s passage is about a rich man who made poor use of his days. Assuming a lot of time remained, he left the Lord out of his plans and let materialism guide him.
Paul, on the other hand, knew life was short and made the most of it. He gave to others until his final days. His letters from prison illustrate this—despite knowing he would soon face death, Paul devoted his time and energy to instructing fellow believers and praying for them. He recognized the value of time spent encouraging Christians to do everything as if for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). This is important even when our task seems unrelated to the church. Kingdom work isn’t just for missionaries and pastors; God calls us all to different fields and assignments.
The apostle also knew that the Christian life encompasses struggles. And he was realistic about his own imperfections (Romans 7:5-25). This meant that to make the best use of his time, he needed to persevere, keep faith in God’s promises, and rely on divine power for victory. And indeed, at the end of his life, Paul was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Life is a gift. Every one of us has a limited number of days on this earth. How will you utilize your time so you can look back and, with Paul, confidently say that you ended well?
Bible in One Year: 1 Timothy 4-6
Thought for Today: Life is a gift—ask God to help you spend your time on what matters.
Dr. Charles Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries and a New York Times best-selling author. Throughout his ministry, he demonstrated a keen awareness of people’s needs and provided Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday life.
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