O Holy One, your love is no mere feeling
but an act of presence.
You are with us,
among, within and all around us.
The babe in the manger
reminds us:
You are here.
All of this is Holy.
Glory to God, and peace on earth.
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
The truth of salvation sets us free. We are able to love others because He first loved us knowing this that we are the hands and feet of Christ. We need to slow down so that we can hear the still, small voice of Holy Spirit who will direct us in the will of God for our good and the good of others. Carla
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
There were those who opposed Paul and his companions during their missionary efforts—both Jew and Gentile (Acts 18:12–13). Paul’s language echoes the prophet Isaiah. He may have been alluding to the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament ) of Isaiah 25:4, which includes the phrase “you will deliver them from wicked men.” God showed His faithfulness by preserving the Thessalonians while they were persecuted (1 Thessalonians 3:6–9).
The evil one Refers to Satan, the enemy of God (Matthew 6:13; Ephesians 6:16). The promise that believers will be protected from Satan by the Lord may be an allusion to the Lord’s Prayer. Paul asks God to guide the hearts of the Thessalonians—the center of desire and purpose. God displayed his love through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ. The patient endurance displayed by Christ in His own suffering helps believers endure persecution. Faithlife Study Bible
Paul not only prayed for the Thessalonians, but he also sensed his own need for their prayers. He asked them to pray for the advance of the gospel and for his own deliverance from human opposition.
Run swiftly refers to the rapid spread of the gospel, while glorified expresses the idea of being triumphant. The verbs suggest not a single victory but a continuing series of victories marking the progression of the gospel throughout the world.
Unreasonable means the men are capable of harmful deeds, while wicked indicates that they are evil in themselves and desire to corrupt others. These men may have been unbelieving Jews in Corinth who were persecuting Paul at the time he wrote this letter (Acts 18:12, 13). Justice in this world may never come for Christians, but they can certainly pray for deliverance from the wicked.
Although Paul was aware that the Thessalonians might be tempted and prove unfaithful, he was confident that God would establish or strengthen them (2:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:2, 13). He knew that God would guard or protect them (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24).
In the previous verse, he had warned them concerning evil men (verse 2). Here Paul assures them that God will faithfully stand watch over them so that not even the evil one, Satan himself, could get hold of them. This passage must have been especially comforting to the Thessalonians, for they were still experiencing severe persecution on account of their faith (1:4).
With the prayer may the Lord direct your hearts, Paul was indicating that the heart, the seat of a person’s will, is the place where spiritual renewal begins. There God plants His love and patience, traits that will produce a harvest of good works.
Paul uses the word direct to indicate that God will clear away the obstacles that may stand in the way of their progress toward love and patience. Paul prays that the Thessalonians, when faced with persecution, will be able to show the same type of patience Jesus expressed when people rejected Him. The NKJV Study Bible
Romans 15:31 that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,
2 Corinthians 2:3 And I wrote this very thing to you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow over those from whom I ought to have joy, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all.
1 Thessalonians 5:24–25 He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.Brethren, pray for us.
Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
I appreciate my friends Tim Hansel’s paraphrase of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25, words intended to make us stop, pray, and reach out to hurting people: “‘I was hungry, and you formed a humanities club to discuss it. I was imprisoned, and you stayed home to pray for my release. I was naked, and you debated the morality of my appearance. I was sick, and you thanked God for your health. I was homeless, and you preached to me about the shelter of God’s love. You seem so holy and so close to God, but I’m still hungry, lonely, cold, and in pain. Does it matter to you?’ Don’t just talk about God’s love; please show it.”
With us
And the Word became flesh and lived among us.
—John 1.14
“Sabbath Moments”
This season can also bring up emotions of loss, loneliness, and forgottenness. Maybe you've tried to escape them, but in the face of festivities, there seems to be nothing but time to process what you've experienced. Either way, after Christmas Day, our weary hearts often need rest and a perspective shift.
Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son to save us from our sins. This is the purpose of Christmas. Please quiet my spirit, and bring me back to that silent night so long ago. We celebrate this time because of You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. First5
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