Day 341, or December the 7th. We're in good hands.
Our thoughts today come from 2 Thessalonians
chapter 3, verse 3. But the Lord is faithful,
and he will strengthen you and protect you from
the evil one. First, the big picture surrounding
this verse. Paul's second letter to the church
in Thessalonica is amongst the shortest that
survive. Even though it is brief, it has much
to teach us. He begins with words of encouragement
and once again confirms that Christ will return.
The second coming of Jesus was a big issue for
the early church, and particularly the church
in Thessalonica. Sometimes we can get important
issues and beliefs out of proportion and Paul,
Timothy and others do their best to maintain
a balance in belief and practice. Paul tells
them a lot, but it can be summed up by saying,
in the meantime, keep working today and trust
him for tomorrow. And now, today's action step.
In the midst of teaching about our Lord's second
coming, Paul drops a beautiful pearl of encouragement
for the hard -pressed believers in Thessalonica.
He tells them to remember that the Lord is faithful
and strong and protective, so you have nothing
to fear. I was listening to the radio recently,
and a BBC correspondent informed his listeners
that the NHS bill for antidepressants is exploding
and runs into hundreds of millions of pounds
a year. Please be assured, I am not saying believers
shouldn't take such medicines, but I am saying
we have a God who is faithful, strong, and able
to protect us from the evil one. Of course, that
doesn't mean we won't be ill or suffer times
of being down, but we have an all -powerful God.
It's not a case of medicine or God, it's both
and. I am not anti -medicines, as I take regular
doses, following my heart attack, and then some
unconnected surgery later. But I am saying, don't
rely on medicines alone. We have a God who is
faithful, strong, and able to protect us. So
we exclude Him from life's ups and downs at our
peril. Remember, He will protect.