2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 (TPT) Chosen for Wholeness
13 We always have to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, for you are dearly loved by the Lord. He proved it by choosing you from the beginning for salvation through the Spirit, who set you apart for holiness, and through your belief in the truth. [convincing you of the Truth] 14 To this end he handpicked you for salvation through the gospel so that you would have the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. [to presently share in and possess the glory of Christ]
15 So then, dear family, stand firm with a masterful grip of the teachings we gave you, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, 17 encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes. [from his perspective]
I am hungry to hear people speak words and reveal actions that encourage human hearts and inspire divine strength to live, move, and have our being in God’s love (Acts 17:28). The Apostle Paul knew how badly the Thessalonian believers needed those things in order to press on in faith to live in the glory of the Lord. Life was difficult. Just like the early Christians, we need to be lovingly reminded to stand firm while we prepare our hearts and wait for the Lord’s Second Coming.
So, I want to encourage you today to pray and ask the Spirit to put a watch over your words that you would not sin against God or your neighbor with your conversation. Life and death is in the power of the tongue; we can build one another up or tear one another down (Pro 18:21). As well, I want to encourage you to pray and ask the Spirit to put a conviction in your heart for any action that does not seem good or beautiful in God’s eyes; we must put to death those actions that try to rise out of our sinful and selfish nature because we are to be led by the Spirit of love (Rom 18:13).
Prayer: Lord, thank you for finding ways to encourage me and inspire me to keep looking to a future with hope. As well, help me to be a source of those things to others each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.