THE BOOKS OF I & II THESSALONIANS
Thessalonians |ˌTHesəˈlōnēənz| either of two books of the New Testament, epistles of St. Paul to the new church at Thessalonica.
The books of 1 & 2 Thessalonians are so small you might miss them if you’re not looking for them. However, though small in size they are full of encouragement and inspiration from the Apostle Paul, written to the church of Thessalonica.
Paul starts his first letter by thanking the church for their faithfulness saying, “We always thank God for you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NLT)
Though these books are small, as a group called Equipped by Faith, we can learn a lot from the church of Thessalonica. They were praised for their faithfulness. Paul continued by saying, “wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:8 NLT)
Faith is such a powerful thing. Though the early church faced persecution for having faith in Christ, they boldly stepped out in faith because they believed in Jesus. Today, we don’t face the same kinds of persecution the Thessalonians did—but our faith is still constantly challenged every day when we face sickness, financial problems, relationship issues, and even in the struggle to find our purpose in life.
“Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4 NLT
The word “faithful” as described in the dictionary will read: loyal, constant, and steadfast. This is the character of God. He is, was, and will always be—faithful to the end. As believers, we are called to be faithful because God is faithful. We are called to be like Him.
“The Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 2:3
Having faith in God isn’t always easy. When things don’t go the way we think they should or when we simply don’t understand why bad things happen in this world, our faith is often tested. But we know that God is good. We know He never changes. We know He is steadfast and unmoving. And we know that He loves us and wants good things for us.
When our faith is tested, Paul encourages us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT this way: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
When we choose to be joyful, to constantly pray and bring God into our daily lives, and to be thankful no matter what our circumstances may look like—that is true, beautiful faith.
My prayer for you today comes from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 and 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13: I keep on praying for you, asking 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. May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as His love for you overflows. May He make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again. Amen!
XO-
Sabrina