Focus

Pay attention to the tension in your body. Let go of it and any expectations to do anything other than God’s will today. Prepare yourself to hear God’s word.

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Read

2 Thessalonians 1:3-12 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

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Reflect

Christianity is better together.  In the first couple of verses, we see how a healthy Christian fellowship should work.   The preacher has reasons to praise the flock and does so.  Faith is growing, but it is a faith that is grounded in love for the building up of one another in faith.  This shared faith enables the church to endure hardships and persecutions.  Instead of crushing the fellowship, Paul encourages them saying these are evidences that God is righteous and has included the Thessalonians in the glory of Christ.

Yet Paul knows that it is difficult to endure persecution so as a good minister he prays for them that they be built up to endure and conquer those afflictions.  This passage reminds me and you that as we are all part of the body and all of us contribute and need one another.  As the writer of Hebrews says, Let us consider how we can spur one another on to love and good works.

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Pray

Thank you O God for including me in the fellowship of your family on earth and in heaven.  Help me to see the ways I can encourage all my sisters and brothers to grow in faith and love. Amen.

Go with God!