DATE POSTED: Monday, 2023-04-24
WRITTEN AT: O’Brien, FL

SCRIPTURE FROM: 1 Timothy 2:8-11
TRANSLATION: The Voice (VOICE)

BIBLE TEXT: ⁸ …. Men, pray wherever you are. Reach your holy hands to heaven—without rage or conflict—completely open. ⁹ Women, the same goes for you: dress properly, modestly, and appropriately. Don’t get carried away in grooming your hair or seek beauty in glittering gold, pearls, or expensive clothes. ¹⁰ Instead, as is fitting, let good works decorate your true beauty and show that you are a woman who claims reverence for God. ¹¹ It’s best if a woman learns quietly and orderly in complete submission.

OBSERVATION: While most of us go to the Bible to learn about God, I wonder if God doesn’t often teach us more about ourselves than we would care to know, particularly what we should look like and act like as His child, or His representative. These verses should open our eyes and show us more about how we may tend to abuse our act of worship before the One who deserves all worship, praise and honor from us, His children.

APPLICATION: I don’t believe that our God ever shows disrespect, or dishonors us, as His children – His creation. So, let’s remove any and all ‘chips’ from our shoulders as we meditate on His Word today, knowing that God spoke through His servant Paul, for our good and for His glory, out of a heart of love. It is so easy for us to read Scripture and discern exactly who God must have ordained that Scripture for! 99% of the time, we see the faults in others, but only good in ourselves. I want to break down my thoughts in two areas today, since the verses seem to address men and women, and what is expected of each. While meditating with me, please remember that all churches are not necessarily ‘perfect’ like your church! So, if the lesson seems pointed at others and not you or your church, then perhaps you should relax and just ask God to open your eyes, mind and heart to truly understand the issue. Some translations indicate that Paul is addressing issues at Prayer meetings, while others seem to indicate that these are issues are with worshippers, period:

• MEN – When you pray, and remember this should be everywhere – pray in our prayer closets, pray in your families, pray at your meals, pray when you are on business trips and vacations, and pray in the solemn assemblies (church), whether in public or in private. You are kneeling before a righteous and holy God – the Creator of heaven, earth and all living beings. So don’t come brashly and arrogantly, but instead honor the One to whom you are praying. Although Paul didn’t highlight this, I feel compelled to bow my head before royalty, and especially before the King of all kings. We should lift up holy hands as an indication that we are releasing self and lifting up ourselves to the only, righteous and holy God. Because God knows our words, actions, thoughts and past history of wickedness, we should approach Him only after having begged for the forgiveness of our sin and recognizing His righteousness. We must never approach God in a rage over something that has happened in our lives, nor while we are in a rage of conflict with one another. Friends, for us to be completely open in our time with God, we must have nothing bearing on our mind, nor any kind of guilt, because He deserves our undivided, sincere, truthful and honest attention.
• WOMEN – You must also pray in like form to the men, but there are some distinctive instructions given to women by Paul: Dress modestly, for Godly character is to be reflected outwardly in godly apparel. This doesn’t mean women are to wear ugly rags. It means they must not let the world determine their fashion preferences. Worldly standards are often unacceptable—and this is sometimes true when it comes to clothing choices. Do not dress in a way that brings inappropriate attention to yourself by either underdressing or overdressing! Very important – Paul is not forbidding women to wear nice clothes; he’s saying that nice clothes are not what Christian women should be known for. Women who profess to worship God should be known more for their decency, their good sense, and their good works than they are known for their expensive apparel. If you claim to be a Christ follower, proof should show up in your actions. So walk in godliness, dress with godliness, and be worthy of respect.

I acknowledge that these topics are very sensitive in nature but are probably necessary because of men and women pridefully trying to ignore proper training from God, while making every effort to outdo their neighbor, or fellow church member. Friends, we must decide in our heart that God is the ultimate, and most important aspect of our lives. He should be the focus of our lives, the One we live to please, the One whose instruction we live to obey and follow, knowing that praise will be lifted to Him and not to ourselves. Dear friend, you fall into one of the above categories, so it should be clear to you if there are any aspects of your life that God may want to see changed. Honor God today by surrendering your sin and bad indentations to Him while asking for His guidance and strength to overcome the world so that you may totally fix your eyes on Jesus and determined to follow His commands, no matter how sensitive they are! The world will notice Jesus in your life, but they really become confused when they hear you speak of Jesus but live like the world.

BLESSING(S) NOTED: Determining to follow Christ in full obedience means totally committing our prayer life to Him, and also dressing in a way that will help others keep their eyes focused on Jesus, and not us.

PRAYER: Lord, it is so interesting to read Your Word and acknowledge how all aspects of our life must be surrendered to You. Unless we do this, there will be parts of our life that may indicate worldly action, fashion, or impurity, while our mouths speak Your Word and the things You expect of us. Forgive us Lord, especially the many times that we claim You as our Lord but live like the world. Please help us to come out from the world and be so in love with You that our words, actions and thoughts will reflect You, the very One that we accepted, and strive to live for. AMEN!

FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!