Useful

 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry.
2 Timothy 4:11 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/2ti.4.11.ESV

Faithful Luke was the only one of Paul's ministry team who was left with him towards the end. Paul asked Timothy to get Mark and bring him to him. If we know some of the Acts of the Apostles by Luke, we might raise an eyebrow at this.

Mark was famously, alongside Luke, a writer of a gospel. He had become part of Paul and Barnabas's mission team, but ran away when the going got touch. Paul then 'sacked' him from their ministry team, in sharp disagreement with Barnabas.

Thankfully, Mark running off wasn't the end of his story. He was evidently restored to fellowship with Paul, as this verse illustrates. We should never write someone off.

From inauspicious beginnings, Mark would become a gospel writer who was useful to Paul in his ministry. He must have got on with Luke too, despite the fact he immortalised his infidelity in Acts. We should always be prepared to restore and to be restored to faith.

'Heavenly Father, we thank You for the encouraging story of Mark. If there was hope for him, there's hope for us. Please help us to be useful in Your service, for Jesus' sake, amen'

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