2 Timothy 2:23-26 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
The world of social media produces a constant flow of profound debates. For example, last night a decorated journalist on Twitter offered a joy-rave that finally, dogs live in the White House again. Earlier rants about ice cream or the color scheme of Air Force One have now yielded to the political significance of pet dogs!
This produced in me a strong temptation to publish a rant about the pathetic nature of journalism today... but right before I hit "enter" the Lord gently whispered, "Avoid foolish and ignorant controversies..."
Thoughtless, yet heated words on social media and elsewhere (including far too many church meetings) stir the flesh and produce useless arguments, cynical rants, hurt feelings, wasted time and energy, and worst of all a lost opportunity for real, edifying communication.
When Paul penned this advice to Timothy it was written from a Roman prison to mentor the young pastor concerning foolish, ignorant controversies. Critical doctrine aside, Paul’s instruction warned Timothy and all serious believers to recognize superficial conversations that pretend to be significant but serve to generate quarrels. Wise people will stay out of such conversations. Nevertheless, they will also learn to recognize when a controversy contains important spiritual issues, and when it does, they will carefully and patiently express the truth without quarreling, fully confident that God's Holy Spirit alone is able to effectively persuade those in error. Love and gentleness have a way of expressing truth powerfully, and kindness may endear even nasty political enemies.
So, stay out of foolish and stupid controversies — because they will generate quarrels. Learn when a real opportunity to express truth appears, and then, just speak the truth in love.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The conquest of the land did not happen in a single moment — it unfolded over years of battles, endurance, and sustained faith. What began at the Jordan required perseverance through opposition, setbacks, and continued trust in God. City by city and territory by territory, Israel advanced, not by one decisive act alone, but through a journey of ongoing reliance on the Lord.
Jericho stood as the first and most formidable barrier in the land of promise. Its walls were thick, its defenses strong, and its reputation intimidating. From a natural perspective, it was unconquerable. Israel had just entered the land, and immediately, they were confronted with a fortress that could not be overcome by conventional means.
After crossing the Jordan and being consecrated at Gilgal, Israel did not immediately march into battle. Before Jericho, before strategy, before conquest, God brought them back to worship — they kept the Passover. In the very land of promise, they paused to remember the blood. This reveals the order of God: before you fight for what He has promised, you remember what He has already done. Before inheritance is possessed, redemption is honored. The same God who brought them out of Egypt by the blood of the lamb was now bringing them into the land by His faithfulness, and worship anchored this transition.
Elul is unlike any other month. As we mentioned yesterday, it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th on the prophetic calendar. This dual position gives Elul a unique character — it both closes a cycle and prepares for a new one. That is why the shofar sounds each day during Elul: it is a wake-up call, reminding us to reflect, repent, and return to the Lord before the great and awesome days of the Fall Feasts.
This begins a very special season on God’s calendar — the month of preparation before the Fall Feasts. The month of Elul is unique: it is the 12th month on the civil calendar and the 6th month on the prophetic/biblical calendar. Each day of Elul is marked by the blowing of the shofar, a trumpet call that awakens the soul. These daily blasts prepare our hearts for Yom Teruah (the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah) and ultimately for Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).
We have come to the final meditation in this journey through the Z’roah, the Arm of the LORD. From the Arm that redeemed Israel out of Egypt, to the Arm that pierced the dragon, to the Arm that is coming with reward — all of these revelations lead us here: the Arm that brings His people into rest.
Isaiah’s vision looks ahead — not only to the Arm of the LORD revealed in the Exodus or even in the cross, but to the day when that same Arm will come again in glory. This is not a picture of brute force but of purposeful arrival. The Z’roah — the Arm of the LORD — comes clothed with strength to establish His rule, and He does not come empty-handed. His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. The promise is sure: He is coming, and He is rewarding.