10/3/24
And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. II Thessalonians 1:7
The Christians in Thessalonica were commended for their patience and faith as they endured persecutions and tribulations. Their endurance of such counted them worthy of the kingdom of God.
One of the guarantees of life for a Christian is that you will be going against the grain of the culture. I remember on the Alaskan cruise which Deb & I took for our 25th wedding anniversary, we visited a small Alaskan town with a stream running up through the middle of the town. I remember hearing the story of the life of a salmon and the effort that they exerted, swimming for miles and miles upstream to return to the point where they were hatched to lay their eggs and die.
After all of the hardships of this life when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, we will be given rest. Paul looking forward to that said "for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us".
Living for Jesus a life that is true striving to please Him in all that we do. Yet at the end of this life we come "Just as I am without one plea, but that Thy blood was shed for me". We enter into His "rest" not on our own merits but through His blood applied to the doorposts of our hearts. Faith in what He has done for us, not what we have done for Him.
Thank You Heavenly Father for the hope we have beyond the sufferings of this day. Please be with those who are enduring hardships for their faith in Christ around the world. May they be strong and continue to live for You amidst the trials of this life. In Jesus name AMEN.
Comments