Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of the God who accurately identifies His servants and then treats them accordingly.
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his” (II Timothy 2:19). In the immediate context, I believe Paul is referring to false teachers. These teachers deceive some people, but they do not fool God.
The statement that “the Lord knoweth them that are his” is comforting and reassuring on many levels. One in particular came to my mind, and it is from the narrative of the good shepherd in John 10. That passage describes “an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not” (v. 12.)
What a difference it makes when the sheep are not his own. When the hireling sees danger, he “leaveth the sheep and fleeth,” allowing the sheep to be injured and scattered. The hireling allows this devastating treatment and result because he “careth not for the sheep” (v. 13), which are not his own.
How different it is with our Good Shepherd, who says, “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine” (v. 14). He does not flee when danger comes. “The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (v. 11).
Think of what else the Good Shepherd does because He knows them that are His. He provides for them. He leads them. He comforts them. He stays with them. He blesses them. Like a shepherd, He does absolutely everything for them so that they can live and prosper.
The Lord knows them that are His, and He always cares for His own.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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