TO CHEW ON: “Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.” 2 Timothy 4:13
As I prepared for a recent flight, I packed with the carry-on luggage restrictions always in mind. What should I take? What could I leave? What would I absolutely miss if I didn’t have?
Three things I definitely left room for were my journal, a Bible study workbook I’m currently working through, and my iPad (which has e-versions of the Bible). But they were a very small percentage of my entire pack.
Here we see Paul (in a time when travel was slow, requests took a long time to be fulfilled and everything was transported by foot or beast) sending a list of stuff he felt he desperately needed to Timothy. Only one thing on the list was for his physical well-being (that cloak - 2 Timothy 4:13). The rest was all stuff to feed his spirit and use in ministry—the books, parchments, and, of course, the human company and help of Timothy and Mark (2 Timothy 4:11).
My Bible’s notes elaborate on what those books and parchments might have been:
“The books or papyrus rolls, may have been portions of the OT. The leather parchments could have been unused material, which Paul wanted for planned writing endeavors, more probably, however, they were sections of the OT, prized highly by Paul, or perhaps even copies of the Lord’s words and early narratives of His life” - James Lea Beall, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1715.
This passage gives me cause to pause and consider—what is really essential for my life? For my five days away, I packed way more stuff for my physical self than my spirit. Does that say something about my priorities?
What would be on your list for must-have items?
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for the plenty I have to sustain my life physically. Help me to value and prioritize the resources for spiritual life that I also have in abundance, and to use them well and often. Amen.
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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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