This morning I was reading the book of 2nd Timothy, and I came across 1:12 which says:
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
In Dec. 2004, I had written in the margin:
What have I entrusted to God? He will guard it.
I had to stop a moment and ponder that. What have I entrusted to God? My writing, my mom's health, my children and grandchildren, my friendships. Whatever and however much I entrust to Him, He will guard it. My part is to trust Him.
As I read on, I was stopped by verse 1:14 which says:
Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.
While this verse was already highlighted, there wasn't any notation from me, but it earned one this time. I wrote:
And I am to guard the treasure He gave me.
What treasure has He given me? Treasures, actually. Salvation, freedom, the opportunity to abide in Him, the ability to read and understand His word. Whatever that treasure is or those treasures are that He has entrusted to me, I am to guard it/them through the Holy Spirit who dwells in me.
Although there is a verse in-between these two, I think they are tied together by the word guard. God guards. I'm to guard, too. So I went to my Accordance Bible software and looked up the Greek word that is interpreted "guard" in these two verses. Here's what I learned:
Guard comes from phulasso which means (to list a few) to guard, watch — keep, kept under guard, maintain, observe, preserved, protect, watching
When Jesus returns, should I still be here on this earth, I want to be found preserving, protecting, watching, maintaining, guarding, observing all that He has entrusted to me. And I want to be living a life of complete trust in Him and His mercy and grace. I can do that because I know whom I have believed and I'm convinced that He has been guarding me all along and taking care of all that I've entrusted to Him.
What have you entrusted to the care of God? Whatever it is, He's guarding it.
In the grip of His grace,
Robin
