Scripture to Read: 1 Timothy 5:11-16
In 1 Timothy 5:11-16, God gives His final commands concerning widows. In verses 11-13, God lays out a warning that young widows are not to be included on the list to be helped by the church. God explains that a young widow's physical desires can become stronger than even their devotion to Christ because they want to get married again. Through Paul, God is not saying that the desire to marry again is wrong. God is making the point that the young widows need to be allowed to remarry. Also, God gives the warning that if a young widow is being taken care of by the church, she will get lazy and become a gossip, going from house to house and getting involved in other people's business. So, through Paul, God says it’s a good thing for young widows to get married again. These young widows are also encouraged to have children and serve God by serving their family and serving in the body of believers. Through Paul, God shares about some young widows in the church who had already turned away from following Him to follow Satan. The sad truth is that many people in the church today are not followers of Christ but are in the church because of their spouse, children, or grandchildren. If those people never surrender to Christ, then they will one day walk away from Him. God gives a final word to Christian women in the church. If any Christian woman has a widow in her family, she’s responsible for taking care of that widow, not the church.
Challenge & Application
1. What did you learn today about widows and their ministry to their family and to the Lord?
2. How are you seeing our Lord through your life?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!