Wednesday, November 4, 2015

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

1 Thessalonians 3:6-10
But now after Timothy came to us from you all and after bringing good news about you all regarding your faithfulness and love and that you all always have a kind remembrance of us – while desiring to see us as we to you all – because of this we were being comforted, brothers and sisters, by you all, upon all distress and our affliction through your faithfulness.  Because now we live if you all stand firm in the Lord.  For what thanksgiving are we powerful enough to repay back to God concerning you all – upon all joy in which we rejoice because of you all in the presence of God?  Night and day we ask in abundant urgency in order to see you all face to face and to bring about that which is lacking in your faith!

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

What is it that brings comfort to Paul and His associates?  It isn’t money collected for his support.  What brings comfort to Paul is to know the love and faithfulness of the Thessalonians.  True joy comes from knowing that a person or a group of people remain in God’s love.  That’s a truly divine focus in life.

What honestly brings you joy?  What genuinely brings you comfort?

Second Thought:

Look deeply at how Paul categorizes life in 1 Thessalonians 3:8.  Paul and his associates live when the Thessalonians stand firm with the Lord.  In other words, because the faithfulness of God has been passed from God through Paul and his associates into the Thessalonians, Paul and his associates know life.  It is the successful transmission of faith that brings about life.

Where are you transmitting faith?  Where are you displaying the faith that has been transmitted to you?

Third Thought:

What is the response that is evoked in Paul regarding this peace and comfort?  The answer is simple.  Paul wants to return to Thessalonica to increase their spirit.  He wants to finish their mentoring.  He wants to bring them into full maturity in the faith so that they can go out and make more disciples of Jesus Christ!  How can we ever repay God except for hearing His call and being obedience to His call and making disciples when He gives us opportunity?  The response to God’s peace and joy is to be a part of completing the work that God is doing in other people.

How do you respond to God’s peace and comfort?  Where are you attempting to fulfill the growth that God is doing in others?


Passage for Tomorrow: 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

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