In The Word
Read: 2 Thessalonians 1
Giving Thanks for Faith and Perseverance
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is only fitting, because your faith is increasing abundantly, and the love of each and every one of you toward one another grows ever greater. 4 As a result, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in the midst of all your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. 5 This is a plain indication of God’s righteous judgment so that you will be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you indeed are suffering. 6 For after all it is only right for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to you who are afflicted, along with us, when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God, and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These people will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,10 when He comes to be glorified among His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—because our testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end also we pray for you always, that our God will consider you worthy of your calling, and fulfill every desire for goodness and the work of faith with power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you in Him, in accordance with the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
Two of the most powerful forces in the life of a believer are faith and perseverance. Unfortunately, these also tend to be some of the weakest attributes of many believers. This is because we only think we need them in the midst of trials and tribulations. Actually, these characteristics need to be exercised before the trials come. When the church at Thessalonica put these two qualities on display, Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy took notice. Paul thanked God for them because of this (2 Thessalonians 1:3).
When afflictions happen in our lives, we must be careful not to become overwhelmed with the situation. When we allow issues to overwhelm us, we become ineffective in the application of our faith. The reality is that afflictions provide us with an opportunity to put our faith on display. That display is in the form of perseverance. You see, the two go hand in hand. The faith I am referring to is not faith in our own abilities; rather, it is faith in the promises of God through Christ Jesus.
You may be going through some tough things in your life, and you may be tired. Be encouraged by the promises of God’s Word and posture yourself to persevere. Remember that afflictions come to strengthen your faith, which gives you the ability to persevere until the end. Here is a promise to hold on to from today’s reading: “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7a).