- Joined
- Oct 26, 2007
- Messages
- 11,642
Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord [be] with you all. 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NKJV
Had the apostle Paul lived in modern America, Second Thessalonians might have been Second Chicagoans, Second Angelenos, or Second New Yorkers. As it is, his first-century letter still speaks powerfully to Christians everywhere.
The Macedonian believers who originally received Paul’s message were suffering from persecution and trials (1:4), false teaching (2:2), and the misbehavior of fellow Christians (3:6). Some in the congregation had become lazy and disruptive, to the point of mooching food off of others. “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul wrote, “to settle down and earn the food they eat” (3:12).
All of these things contributed to the Thessalonians’ suffering for God’s sake. If we’re committed to loving godly lives in our culture, we’ll suffer too.
But Paul offered hope in the form of God’s peace. Notice how extensive it is: this peace comes from God Himself, “the Lord of peace,” and it’s available “at all times and in every way.” Whatever frustrates and troubles us is more than offset by the peace of God—which, Paul said elsewhere, “transcends all understanding [and] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). All you have to do is ask.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are more than enough troubling things in life. Please control my reactions and give me peace.
Had the apostle Paul lived in modern America, Second Thessalonians might have been Second Chicagoans, Second Angelenos, or Second New Yorkers. As it is, his first-century letter still speaks powerfully to Christians everywhere.
The Macedonian believers who originally received Paul’s message were suffering from persecution and trials (1:4), false teaching (2:2), and the misbehavior of fellow Christians (3:6). Some in the congregation had become lazy and disruptive, to the point of mooching food off of others. “Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Paul wrote, “to settle down and earn the food they eat” (3:12).
All of these things contributed to the Thessalonians’ suffering for God’s sake. If we’re committed to loving godly lives in our culture, we’ll suffer too.
But Paul offered hope in the form of God’s peace. Notice how extensive it is: this peace comes from God Himself, “the Lord of peace,” and it’s available “at all times and in every way.” Whatever frustrates and troubles us is more than offset by the peace of God—which, Paul said elsewhere, “transcends all understanding [and] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). All you have to do is ask.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are more than enough troubling things in life. Please control my reactions and give me peace.
