Good morning! I know many of you have heard that being a Christian doesn’t mean everything will be perfect or go according to our plan. Many Christians face levels of discomfort and heartbreak while they live life on earth, but the greatest thing we will ever know is the glorious power of Jesus who is with us and strengthens us every single day. Today, we will continue our reading in 2 Thessalonians where Apostle Paul continued to encourage the believers who were being persecuted for their faith.

As a brief recap from yesterday, we ended our reading in verse six – “In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.”

Bible verse – 2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 NLT

“⁷ And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. ¹⁰ When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

¹¹ So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. ¹² Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Reflection

Combining yesterday’s final verse and these verses we learn God in his justice will pay back those who persecute believers and provide rest for those being persecuted. The Lord is fully aware of those who believe and follow him versus those who have heard but reject him. These verses are a reminder of what is ahead for both the believer and the non-believer.

Sisters and brothers, stay encouraged as we wait on the Lord. Keep praying for one another and continue to honor the Lord with your life. People are watching you as you follow Christ and are encouraged by your resilience. They are watching you and observing your faith in good and bad times, and it gives them hope to believe too. When they ask how you overcame your trials or difficult days, tell them it was only by His grace.

Let your life speak of the grace and mercy of Christ Jesus – the One who saves and redeems. May the Lord continue to be your strength as you put your faith and trust in Him each day.

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your love and protection. Thank you for your endless grace toward us. Lord, thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ to save us from eternal destruction. We are forever grateful for the salvation you give and for the promise of eternal life. Lord, while life may not be what we desire right now, we are still grateful and devoted to You. We desire to serve you. Equip us with the wisdom and discernment to pursue the things of You. Lord, help us to be bold, but humble; truthful, but loving; and courageous, but always led by You. Lord, continue to transform us and shape us into your image every day. Lord, help us with our thinking and thought process. Help us block out negative and unhealthy self talk and doubt. Lord, free us from that bondage and from fear. Lord, strengthen us mentally and physically to seek and see the goodness and grace that you provide every day. Lord, direct our steps and align our thoughts and actions with yours. Help the unemployed obtain employment. Help the small business owner enhance their business. Help those who are having a difficult season in life right now – strengthen them and ease the storms. Lord, we pray for the man who is losing his battle with cancer and his family. Lord, help them. Lord, we pray for those still fighting their battle with cancer. Lord, we know you can bring healing. Lord, in Your grace and mercy, continue to heal those who are going through treatments. Lord, you know the prayer requests of each reader. Lord, hear and answer each prayer. In Jesus name, amen.

——–

PRAYER REQUEST
Do you have a prayer request? We would love to pray for you. Send your prayer request to: contactus@maryewhiteministries.com

Bible Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com

Copyright ©️ 2017-2030 Mary E. White Ministries, all rights reserved.