WHO LOVES YOU, BRO?
2 THESSALONIANS 2:13, 16-17
2 THESSALONIANS 2:13, 16-17
13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.
OBSERVATION:
It never ceases to amaze me at how much life, light, and truth are in God's word.
In our passage for today, the message that stood out to me was God's love for us.
And as a side note, that is what to look for as you read your Bible. What seems to stand out, to resonate with you. If you have a practice of journaling, that's where you start. You would be surprised at what will flow out of you as you begin to journal your observations and applications of scripture.
Twice Paul reiterates God's love for the believers there in Thessalonica. He calls them beloved by the Lord and God our Father who has loved us.
This is a theme that needs to rest as one foundational principle regarding our relationship with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are greatly loved by God. Too often, we mentally agree with this truth. Sort of a yeah, yeah, God loves me, I know that. But if the Holy Spirit thought it important enough to mention twice, then this love is a major theme.
Now, as we go back and look at the rest of these verses, we see some of the wonderful things that have been done for us because of God's love for us.
Because God loves us, we are sanctified or set apart by the Spirit of God. And we have received salvation.
Because we are loved, we have been given an everlasting encouragement, and a good hope by His grace. God's love for us has given us an encouragement that extends beyond this life and will never run out. And we will never run short on hope. In a world so deficient of encouragement and a positive expectation of good, God's love has provided answers.
APPLICATION:
So how do we apply these verses to our lives? The shortest route will be giving thanks.
Thanking God for His love. Declaring we are the beloved of the Lord is a great way to start.
Then we can thank God for our salvation and for being set apart by His Holy Spirit. And thank Him for comforting our hearts and strengthening us in all we do for His glory.
PRAYER:
Thank You, Father, for loving me. And thank You for what Your love has provided.