11-3-2019

Good Morning All,

   1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18; “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

    We are approaching the time of year that many view as the holiday season.  It can get a little hectic for the next few weeks.  We seem to try and put as much activity in these next few weeks as we do the next few months after them.  Parties, meals, events with friends, relatives, and work mates clog our calendar.  Being the wistful curmudgeon, I am always curious why someone doesn’t have a Thanksgiving dinner in July or August.  Now I know you are going to think that Thanksgiving Day isn’t in July.  This is true but it should be.

    The verse portion we have today is actually the ending of a little longer set of instructions that Paul is giving to the Thessalonian Christian.  He tells them to encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, get along with each other; all of this is the will of God for us yet we tend to focus on these final three the most.  Rejoice, pray and give thanks!!  These are truly the will of God.

    As Paul writes this, very few, if any, of the new converts to Christianity have an easy life.  Many are slaves and former slaves, some are women of little, if any, standing, some are wealthy but they will face ridicule, rejection and possible persecution for their faith so his entreaty here seems somewhat out of whack.  Yet his encouragement is just what we need to hear.

   We rejoice because our joy, our true joy, is not found in the situation that we may find ourselves in at this exact moment; our joy is in the truth that God has made us his own through the blood of Jesus.  The ebb and flow of life, the rise and fall of fortunes, the ups and downs of life can never overcome or replace the love of Christ which lifts us up to heights of wonder and glory through his grace and mercy.

    We pray because our communication with our heavenly Father is vital to keep us focused on his love for us.  God grants us peace, comfort and hope but the devil does everything he can to cause us to look away and to see only the darkness and not the light.  Prayer helps us to remember who speaks the truth and who creates, redeems and sustains us.

   We give thanks, in all things, because it leads us to remember the care, compassion and love that God has so richly displayed for us in the past.  We remember how he delivered us before and we can be confident that he will deliver us again this time.  We may experience pain but we can always see beyond the pain and see our loving Savior waiting for us with open arms, a gentle voice and a warm embrace.  God has always been faithful to us before and he will be faithful to us tomorrow.

   So give thanks, always remembering what God is doing for you and rejoice that his love is always showered upon you, even in the toughest times, Jesus death and resurrection gives us hope.

Father we give you thanks for our salvation in Jesus.  Guard our hearts and keep our eyes ever focused on your love.  Encourage those who are fainthearted at this time.  Strengthen them by your Spirit.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret