2 Timothy 4:1-5, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:  Preach the word!  Be ready in season and out of season.  Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

We can all use an encouraging word now and then, but be careful that you don’t get to the point where that is all you are looking for.  You don’t have to look far these days to see multitudes of so-called “prophets” saying, “If you are seeing this today God just wants you to know that He is blessing you with blah, blah, blah”!  If you are hurting, overwhelmed, or struggling seek Him!  Allow God Himself to speak to your heart!  If you are saved He lives inside you and He will guide you to the extent that you allow Him to.  We all want that “good word”, but the majority of those people are just looking for money and they will answer to God for what they are doing.  Too often Christians set their sites and hopes in that “word” and then get angry with God because they never see it come to pass.  Your encouragement for your day will be found in seeking out the truth in God’s Word.  Part of the reason there are so many of those people out there is because they are preying on people who are looking for comfort and hope, but God wants you to look to Him for those things.  He is the God of truth and He has your answers and plans so seek Him!  Ask Him what His dreams and plans are for your life.

The “time” Paul was telling Timothy about in this letter is here.  I have seen so many people post that they are looking for a church and then give a long list of what they want and don’t want and basically they were just looking for a place they could go, be entertained, not convicted or challenged and be able to check that box that they went to church.  Oh how much they will miss!  There’s just nothing better than growing in our relationship with God!  How much more can we know?  The depths of who He is is just so incredible and the more you understand who He is the more you can trust Him and serve Him.  The only way to have more of Him in your life is to know Him more so you trust Him more, so you allow Him to fill you and guide you more so others can’t help but see Him!  I am not sure what some people are afraid of when it comes to truly being taught the truths of God’s Word other than they don’t want anyone to say they may need to change some things, but His best is in following His ways!  He isn’t trying to keep something good from us, that is the same old lie satan used on Eve!  Don’t fall for that!

So, what can we do in a world where most people don’t want the full truth, they just want whatever truths work into what they want out of life.  Pray!  Pray for God to draw them to Him and be an example to the world around you.  Strive to know Him more.  Instead of our asking God where He is let’s all live lives that show the world that He lives in us! He is “God with us” literally!   There are going to be troubles in this world, the Bible tells us that but we don’t have to live without hope!  He is our hope and nothing is impossible for Him! It’s in the struggles that we tend to learn and grow closer to Him because our hearts and minds are desperate for Him.  Strive to be “desperate for Him” in the good times! You don’t need those self-appointed prophets to tell you what God is going to do for you, pray and ask for His guidance and He will show you.  The reason I point that out is because it is too easy to become addicted to having to hear the fluff all of the time instead of growing in our knowledge of Him so we grow.  God will give you the encouragement you need when you need it and He will walk with you through whatever comes your way, but that comes through relationship.  He loves you and wants a relationship with you, He wants to use your story to reach others!  Life on earth is hard, but it is such a short period of time in light of eternity.  He is coming soon.  Let’s determine that when He comes He doesn’t have to call out like He did to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?”  Yes, He knew where they were and He knows where we are, but may our lives be so full of Him and His truth that His light is shining so brightly in this dark world it is obvious to everyone!