Tag: perseverance

Categories
2 Thessalonians Devotionals

Keep on keeping on

2 Thessalonians

In these difficult times, Paul’s words really struck me.

But as for you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing good. (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

In these times of pandemic, in these times of fear and anger because of all the evil we see around us, it is easy to just get tired.

To get tired of doing what’s right.

To get tired of doing good, serving the Lord and ministering to others.

To instead become self-centered and idle.

That’s the temptation the Thessalonians faced in the midst of persecution.

But Paul says, “Don’t get weary. Keep on keeping on.”

The key to being able to do this?

May the Lord direct your hearts to God’s love and Christ’s endurance. (5)

Ultimately it’s God’s grace and his faithfulness that allows us to keep on keeping on.

That’s one reason why it’s important to pray for each other in these times.

We pray that the Lord will direct our hearts to God’s faithful love to us. A love that Christ proved by enduring far more than we ever have by going to the cross.

But when we are tired and struggling, it is so easy to lose sight of these things.

So let’s intentionally take the time to encourage each other, reminding each other of God’s faithfulness, and praying for each other as Paul did.

And for you, I pray as well.

May the Lord of peace himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with all of you…The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (16-18)

Categories
James

How faith responds to suffering

James

James started this letter by talking about how God uses trials to make us mature and complete.

And for the last several chapters, he talked about how true faith should look as it matures. That true faith causes people to grow in love, speech, and in purity.

That is the endgame for God. That we would become more like Christ as we draw near to him.

Now having drawn that picture, he comes back to how we should deal with our trials.

On first glance, the first six verses of chapter 5 look like a continuation of his condemnation of the wealthy Christians that we saw in the last few verses of chapter 4.

But taking a closer look, it seems much more likely that James is echoing the Old Testament prophets who condemned those who persecuted or oppressed God’s people.

There were rich people who hoarded their wealth and failed to pay their workers their wages. Who condemned and murdered innocent men by their greed and self-indulgence.

And James warns, “Your time of judgment is coming.”

But then he turns to the suffering Christian. And he says,

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.

See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains?

You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. (James 5:7-8)

In short, part of perseverance is faith. Faith that God will judge the unjust and that justice will ultimately come.

Just as the farmer trusts God to provide the rains he needs so that his crop will grow, so we should trust God to provide the justice that we all long for. And as we wait in faith, we will bear the fruit of righteousness in our lives.

That’s hard, though. And sometimes in our frustration, we not only get angry with God, but we turn on each other. So James says,

Don’t grumble against each other brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! (9)

If in our impatience and anger at our situation, we turn on each other, God will hold us accountable for that. So James tells us,

Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (11)

When you look at the lives of the prophets, many, if not all, suffered greatly. Yet in the midst of their struggle, they continued to to be faithful, preaching the Word of the Lord, no matter how much they were reviled.

Job too suffered, and though he struggled with understanding the whys, he never gave up on his faith on God either. And in the end, God vindicated them all.

And so James tells us, “Learn from them. In the midst of your trials, be patient.”

It’s easy to say God is good when all is going well. It’s much harder when we’re going through trial.

Finally James says,

Above all, my brothers, do not swear — not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No”,” no, or you will be condemned. (12)

Here I think James is saying, “No matter how bad things get, hold on to your integrity. Don’t let your trials take that away with you. Always stay unflinchingly honest lest your dishonesty detract from your testimony.”

How do you face your trials? Do you turn against God? Do you turn against those around you? Do you let your trials take away from your integrity?

Or do you stand unflinchingly in the face of it all, believing that God is good and will bring you through?

Categories
2 Thessalonians

When we’re in the midst of trial

Paul in the storm

I’ve mentioned many times that God has never promised us an easy life.

Paul certainly didn’t have an easy life. He was beaten and persecuted for the sake of the gospel. He was shipwrecked and stretched beyond his ability to endure. And ultimately, he was martyred for his faith.

And yet through all his trials, he kept on. How was he able to do so?

He asked the Thessalonians,

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 

And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men, for not everyone has faith. (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2)

I think there were several things that gave Paul the ability to keep going.

First, he saw the fruit of what he was suffering. That through the Thessalonians, the Philippians, and others, he could see God working and was reassured that all his work and suffering was not in vain.

Second, he had people praying for him. And he always made sure to ask people to pray for him. He never said, “I’m okay. I can get through all these trials on my own.”

Rather, he said time and again, “Pray for me. There is a lot of evil out there. And there are a lot of evil people around me. So pray. I need it.”

Third, he realized the Lord is faithful and good, even when he was among hostile people. He said

Not everyone has faith. But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2-3)

And so he encouraged the Thessalonians to keep on as he was keeping on, saying,

We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. (4)

He then concludes with the key to being able to stand in the midst of trial. He prayed,

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (5)

So often, we let trials lead us into bitterness, anger, and feelings of abandonment by God and others. And because we feel this way, we turn inward and throw pity parties. How could anyone, after all, understand what we are going through?

But Paul prays, “Don’t let your trials lead you away from God. Instead, let them lead you to him. Don’t run away from God because of your trials. Run to him.”

More, he says, “Remember Christ. Remember what he endured for you. That he was betrayed and abandoned by those he loved. That he was mocked, beaten, and then crucified. And yet he endured. Why? Because he loves you.

“So when you are feeling like you can’t endure any more, look to him. He understands exactly what you’re going through. And he cares. You have not been abandoned.”

The writer of Hebrews put it this way,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2-3) 

And again,

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet was without sin. 

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

So if you are feeling beaten down by life and abandoned, my prayer for you is the same as Paul’s.

May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. (1 Thessalonians 3:5)