2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 (NLT)
With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm
and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and
by letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved
us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you
and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
Paul joins Silas, and
Timothy in sending a message of hope, comfort, and encouragement to the
fellowship of believers in Thessalonica. I wanted to know a little bit more
about the church in Thessalonica and discovered that the city was important as
a center of naval travel. This would have given the Thessalonian fellowship
excellent opportunity for spreading faith in Christ to others. Interestingly, I
discovered many had ceased to be productive workers because they believed
Christ was coming soon. Now I understand why Paul was writing to remind the
early church to remain steadfast, keep working and refrain from idleness while awaiting
Christ’s return. At that point, only about 50 years had passed since Christ’s resurrection
and ascension.
Here we are some 2,000
years later, and the message of hope remains consistent. Keep working, keep
doing what you are doing, be faithful, be strong, keep your courage up! God’s
timing is infinitely perfect; he will return when he returns. Until then, his
grace is more than sufficient to comfort us and strengthen us in every good
thing we do and say.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Sometimes we feel
like we are just plodding along through life. And yet, your word reminds us
that we have much to do while we await your soon coming return. Your grace
provides us with the comfort and strength we need each day to be productive for
you. Forgive us when we fail you and renew our spirits for service in the
opportunities you bring our way.
In Christ’s name we
pray, Amen.
Respectfully written and submitted by,
Dotty Willmon, Resurrection Christian—looking for the blessed hope of
Christ’s return!
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