August 26, 2020

Today’s hope takes us to a young Pastor named Timothy. Paul is writing to him so that he is encouraged in his work with the church in Ephesus. In the fifth chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul gives him instructions about the care of widows and the treatment of elders.

I have often wondered why Mark would address the treatment of widows. I know that older women who are widowed need to have help, but what is the significance of widows? After reading about Jewish culture, I learned that widows do not inherit the estate of her deceased husband. In Biblical times, women were mainly homemakers, and to work in public was not common or really accepted. Widows then depended on their sons to support them after the husband died. I kept pondering how this would be relevant to today. With so many families today needing two incomes, we seem to be losing touch with our elders. Especially in this season of covid-19, we see our elders in nursing homes alone. Our widows and elders deserve more than just a few visits a month. They are the very people who have gone before us in this vast world.

LadyBug, God wants us to always love those who are family. He wants families to grow together in love and grace. We love our elders because they are where we come from and we love our children because they are where we will go.

Let us cherish our upbringing and our future generations with a love that goes beyond riches and wealth.

~Cyndi Kay

1 Timothy 5