1 & 2 Thessalonians – Page 4

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 – What Happens After We Die?

Blue sky, clouds, sun illuminating the cross in the sky

We die. Then what? For those who believe God’s Word, we have an assurance of something much greater than we can even comprehend. I’m not so sure we’ll meet St. Peter at the pearly gates and be asked questions for admittance as we often see depicted in cartoons. Our text today gives us a glimpse of what will happen to those who have died when Jesus returns.

I listened to a wonderful interview of Joni Eareckson Tada about heaven. In case you’re not familiar with Joni, she’s been a paraplegic for over fifty years following a spinal cord injury as a young girl. I have always admired her and hope to meet her one day. Her faith is so inspiring. I put a link to that interview in my Facebook group, Reflections-Devos on the Go.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 – Pleasing God

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

person bowing on their knees with prayer hands against a sunset

We’ve all heard how it important it is to love God and love each other. If we get those two things right, many of the other things we’ll face in life will simply fall into place. That’s not to say life will be “easy,” but it does mean we’ll enjoy life more fully when we can learn what it means to love with Christian love.

Again, Paul seems extremely impressed with the Thessalonians and how these young Christians are getting it right. “We urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more.” Paul uses some examples that these Gentiles would understand when he speaks of sexual sin. Adultery and other sexual freedoms would have been common among the Gentiles (pagans or new believers) of that day. Certainly, this is behavior that doesn’t please God.

1 Thessalonians 3:1-13 – Staying Strong

Read 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13

How many times have you gone to help someone in need only to be blessed yourself beyond measure? I feel like this is a bit of what Timothy experienced when he visited Thessalonica as is referenced in our reading. Timothy went with the expectation he’d find trouble. “We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles.”

Instead, Timothy arrived to find their friends doing quite well. Such a report was a blessing indeed! “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.” So in Paul’s own time of adversity, he was blessed by those he was seeking to serve.

1 Thessalonians 2:14-20 – Despite it All

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:14-20

girl in fervant prayer, eyes closed, facing upward

Growing up in the United States, particularly in the Midwest, I didn’t see any persecution for being a believer. It wasn’t until adulthood that I even understood any territorial history other than what was presented in the Bible. We didn’t study that kind of thing in Social Studies back in my day.

It’s been quite eye opening for me to witness some of that persecution. Recently David showed me a report of the areas of the world that were under the most attack. I wasn’t surprised that many of the nations surrounding Israel (but surprisingly NOT Israel) were at the top of that list. What did surprise me was that our own country of residence, Mexico, was on that list.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-13 – Who is Important?

Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-13

Have you ever had a fear of something because of a memory of a past event? We can all answer yes to this because of the brain we’ve inherited. Our brains are meant to protect us from harm. They are doing their job when we feel anxious or concerned. Paul is sharing something we can all identify with.

I love that Paul uses this example as a teachable moment. He asks his readers to recall when they first met. Paul calls to mind their memory of the trouble he and his friends had had in Philippi immediately before coming to Thessalonica. Rather than be “gun-shy” and avoid doing the work God had called them to do out of fear, they boldly preached. To explain how it played out, Paul said, “Yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.”