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1 Thessalonians 3 Devotional – Day 3

By January 26, 2022Daily Devotional

ADORATION – Reflect on God’s Greatness

GOD IS HOLY God himself is the Most Holy One. Holy means that God is perfect in His moral character. He is also unique and set apart. He is “completely other.” We share some of God’s attributes. We are like him. He is not like us. God is so holy and morally perfect in the bible if a person in an unholy state came near to God, the person would die.

He’s called the “Holy One of Israel” (Psalm 71:22, 78:41, 89:18; Isaiah 1:4, 5:19, 24). The seraphim around God’s throne cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). “The Lord our God is holy!” exclaims the psalmist (Psalm 99:9).

Praise God that He is Holy
Praise God that he is completely unique there is nothing and no one like him. Praise him that he is perfect in his moral character. His holiness is bright and powerful like the sun. Consider the awesomeness of his holiness. Praise God that he has come near to us and made us holy.

CONFESSION: Confess your sins to God and receive his continued mercy.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

THANKSGIVING: Giving thanks to God for his specific blessings in our lives.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100

SUPPLICATION: Bringing our requests to God.

  • Bring your personal prayer requests to God.
  • Pray for the lost. Ask God to give you opportunities to build trust relationships with those who do not know Christ.

SCRIPTURE READING:

1 Thessalonians 3 New Living Translation
Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.

6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord.

9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. 10 Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith.

11 May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. 12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

SCRIPTURE REFLECTION:
Have you been surprised by trouble, suffering, or trials in your life? Not surprised as in disturbed or disoriented. That response is normal, even if you understand and expect life to have troubles. What I mean by surprised is that you didn’t really think it would or could happen to you. You are probably not surprised in that way, but many are. Many have believed something the Bible and God never promised them. They have believed that if they do everything “just right” then God will ensure that no trouble befall them. Of course one major flaw in this thinking is that we are not ever going to do everything “just right” so thank God that is not a prerequisite for God’s love or blessing. The other flaw of course is that God doesn’t just want us to have a life free from trouble, he wants us to become more like his Son. He wants us to grow and mature and develop into beings equipped to love and trust God because we are not addicted to all the smaller things that keep us from a robust faith. Again, when difficult things happen we are going to be disoriented. This is normal. But as followers of Christ we have the capacity to reorient ourselves to the truth. We do not have to remain in a state of disorientation. To reorient to God will not remove the pain of suffering, but it does remove the part of suffering that is unnecessary. Suffering is not random or without purpose. God does work all things for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

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