Funny…I was just thinking before I started today’s devotions…well, I’m at the end of the book of Colossians, and all Paul is saying is, “Tell him ‘hi’ for me...read the letter...", and giving me a long list of names I can’t pronounce. But, right before I started reading, I prayed that God would give me a fresh Word from His heart...that He would make that passage come alive for me this morning! oh yes...He did...God showed me so much more.
Demas…he was a fellow worker- working side by side by Paul, one of the greatest missionaries of all times, one of founding fathers of the faith…he learned from Paul- one of the best! All it says in Colossians 4:14 is, “…Demas sends greetings.” But, I did a little study on our friend, Demas, in the Bible. Apparently Paul wrote about him again to Timothy about 6 years later, “…Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10). How is it possible that he could trade a great friendship and ministry with Apostle Paul for something else? How could this happen? I don’t think it happened over night. I’m not sure how long this downward spiral continued, but this comment was written 6 years after Paul referred to him as a “fellow worker”. A lot can happen in 6 years…a lot of ideas, worldviews, idols of the heart, bad influences, and temptations, can creep in little by little into one’s heart and mind. And, if Demas wasn’t continually throwing off these hindrances, a love of this world could develop…and it did develop. His allegiance switched from a life devoted to Christ and His work, to a life devoted to this world. We have to be on our guard, friends! “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9a). May we learn a lesson from Demas.
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