A Transforming Hope

"...I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

The Hope of the Lord's return in an eminently practical hope. The sober realization of His coming will transform our lives. "As workmen are moved to be more diligent in service when they hear their master's footfall, so, doubtless, saints are quickened in their devotion when they are conscious that He whom they worship is drawing near" (Spurgeon).

There are five distinct references to the Lord's return in 1 Thessalonians, and in each instance the confident assurance of this Hope acts as an antidote, a remedy, for failure and faintness in the life of the expectant believer. The Christian who is expecting the Lord has no room in his life for:

Idols in his heart--"ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; and to wait for his Son from heaven,...even Jesus" (1 Thess. 1:9-10)

Slackness in his service--"For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God...For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?" (1 Thess. 2:9,19)

Division in his fellowship--"The Lord make you increase and abound in love one toward another...To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming or our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints" (1 Thess. 3:12-13)

Depression in his mind--"Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thess. 4:18)

Sin in his life--"...I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 5:23)

"Occupy till I come" (Luke 19:13)

--this devotional by Dr. James B. Crichton

God is Worthy of Worship

Satan replied to the Lord, "Yes, Job fears God, but not without good reason! You have always protected him and his home and his property from harm. You have made him prosperous in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!" (Job 1:9-11)(NLT)

Satan argued that Job followed God simply because he received blessings for doing so. Take away the rewards and Job would cease to worship God. No doubt Satan intended to direct this accusation toward all people who follow God. A modern pragmatist might state the accusation this way: To the extent that it is in a person's self-interest, that person will honor God. But God knew that Job would maintain his allegiance despite his suffering, for Job considered God worthy of worship simply because he is God. Like Job, let us worship God for who he is rather than for what he gives us.

WORTHY LORD, we praise you for who you are. Purify our motives for following you, and teach us to draw closer to you in the midst of our pain. You alone are worthy of everlasting honor. Amen.

(from the Praise and Worship Study Bible, Tyndale House Publishers)

Mr. Great-Heart

"Now I am really living, since you are standing firm in the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 3:8)(Williams)

This is the utterance of profound and overpowering emotion. Paul's whole spiritual joy is linked with the experience of victory in this Thessalonian Church. Paul was not exaggerating. He meant that his life took on new color, new strength, and new vibrancy when he knew that his converts were established. This is Bunyan's "Mr. Great-Heart".

"Consider for a moment the background of this statement. How interested and how concerned would we be if we had been in Paul's position? Paul had been there just a few weeks and had led these few souls to Christ, but now it seems that his very life depended upon the success and the prosperity of this church. His whole heart was wrapped up in the spiritual prosperity of these, his children in the faith.

What a challenge this should be to us that we may have that same sensitivity of the soul, that we may have that passion, that love which was in the heart of Christ Himself for the sheep, for the people of God. In the Bible, the men of God, men who really served God, had a heart for the needs of souls. Too often in our modern life our theology is in one compartment and our heart is in another. We believe that souls are lost without Christ and recognize human suffering and human need, but it is never translated into prayer, or into helpfulness, or into doing what we can to meet the needs of others. What a contrast to Paul!" (Walvoord).

Lord, help me to live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray
My prayers will be for others.
--C. C. Meigs

(this devotional by Dr. James B. Crichton)