URC Daily Devotion for 4-10-2025
1 Timothy 5: 23 – 25
No longer drink only water, but take a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. The sins of some people are conspicuous and precede them to judgement, while the sins of others follow them there. So also good works are conspicuous; and even when they are not, they cannot remain hidden.
Reflection
Paul is offering Timothy both practical and spiritual wisdom. “Use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake”, as the Authorised Version memorably put it, reminds us that God cares not only about our spiritual lives but also about our physical well-being. Faith is not disconnected from everyday life. God invites us to be good stewards of our health and to seek balance between body and spirit.
Paul then addresses the nature of sin and good works, which is not a topic that we discuss a lot in the United Reformed Church. Paul notes that some sins are obvious and precede people to judgment, while others follow behind. The point here is not to rush to conclusions about others, nor to judge other people because only God can judge. People may carry hidden struggles, indeed each person may be fighting a battle that no-one else knows anything about. On the other hand, Paul reminds us that good works, whether obvious or hidden, will eventually be revealed. What’s done in secret for God’s glory will not remain hidden forever.
This is a powerful encouragement for those who feel unnoticed or unappreciated. Whether you’re serving quietly in your family, giving generously in private, working hard in the church and the community, or obeying God in small ways when no one is watching, know this: God sees it all. And in God’s time, God brings everything into the light. We shouldn’t be looking for applause or recognition, but we do well to remember that God is looking for faithfulness.
Today, take care of your body, look after your soul, do what is right even when it’s unseen, and trust that God will honour it. We live not for the approval of others but for the eyes of God who sees all.
Prayer
Living God, thank you for caring about every part of my life: my health, my choices, and even my quiet moments. Help me to be faithful in what is unseen, to trust that you see every good work, and to care for my body as a gift from you. Teach me not to judge others quickly, but to walk humbly and patiently. Let me live for your glory alone. Amen.