Calling

# 22 2019  Devotion, 2 Th.1:11. Calling!  Read all of chapter one. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw Gremar and I closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.

 2 Thessalonians 1:11 “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith.”

 Paul wrote to the Thessalonica church around 51 AD while on his second missionary journey. He fled from there after a short visit because of persecution, see Acts 17:1-9. Paul’s purpose for writing 2 Thessalonians is the same as for 1Thessalonians. Paul wrote the early believers to give them encouragement under persecution, to be steadfast and to give them further instructions, some of it eschatological, doctrine of last things, Christ’s return.

 Paul starts with a greeting from himself, Silas and Timothy. “Grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” After greeting Paul gives thanks to God for them and prays for them. He gives thanks for their growing faith during trials and for “the love all of you have for one another is increasing.” Are we able to give thanks to God for what goes on in our churches?

 Paul points back to what he is thankful for: “All this is evidence that God’s judgment is right, !verse 5) and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. God is just:” God will not ignore those who reject Him and he will take care of those who trust Him. Persecution in America is increasing for all religions but much of the discord in our churches comes from within: music, tradition and gender issues are disrupting our worship and attendance. Are you one of those who have left the church where God has placed you? Do we have adequate faith, acknowledging that our Bible believing church is the church of Jesus Christ?

 Paul tells us, that those troubling the church will be troubled by God; We don’t know exactly how that happens in this life but we know that God will be glorified.  In the future every person who every lived will see and acknowledge God’s glory on the “Day of the Lord”. As Paul says: “He comes to be glorified in God’s holy people…” Only by faith do we understand it!

 Paul, in v. 11, points back to what he said before: “with this in mind” Paul prays. It is a prayer we must all pray daily for our churches and her leaders, for our government and its leaders, for every follower of Jesus and for our fellow church members: “that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith ¹² We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Amen and Amen!

Are you allowing God to make you worthy of His calling?

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