October 2nd, 2013
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

God Is at Work

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Opening Prayer

Generous Giver God, today I want to spread light and not shadows, grace and not pain, love and not apathy.

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-16

[1] You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. [2] We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. [3] For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. [4] On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. [5] You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed-God is our witness. [6] We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. [7] Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, [8] so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. [9] Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. [10] You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. [11] For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, [12] encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. [13] And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. [14] For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews [15] who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone [16] in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

Meditate

Which characteristics of a faithful Christian worker given in this passage do you possess? Which do you want?

Think Further

A missionary once said that he liked working in a place where there was little response because he knew that when people were converted it would clearly be God’s work and not his. This is Paul’s claim for the Thessalonians. There was so much against the success of Gospel preaching among them that their conversion was clearly a supernatural event. Paul had confidence that there was real power in the Gospel, so there was no need to trick people into believing (3). The openness of Paul’s way of working is a challenge to those who are so eager to get people into our churches that they water down the Gospel message or fail to present the challenge of discipleship. Even the reality of persecution did not stop the Thessalonians believing.

Paul’s pleasing of God, and not men (4), does not mean he was so concerned for his message that he did not value the Thessalonians as people. He can talk about how his love for them meant that his preaching ministry was accompanied with sacrificial service. He shared his life as well as his message. He worked to provide for his own material needs and exhibited the same care towards these not-yet-believing pagans that a parent would show towards their own children (7,8). Paul’s love for God and his love for people were never in opposition, but together commended the Gospel.

Our reading today, as yesterday, ends with the wrath of God (16). Yesterday Paul rejoiced that the Thessalonians had been rescued from it. Today he speaks of those who are under it because of their persecution of Christians. This puts his whole ministry in a very serious context. Gospel ministry is about saving people from the wrath of God, thanks to the death of Jesus on our behalf.

Apply

Who has been a positive influence on you for godly living? How so? How can you be a positive influence for someone this week?

Closing prayer

Lord, give me such an understanding of both Your wrath and Your Good News that I can become a life-giving source to those around me.

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