Category: 1 Thessalonians

Unity

1 Thessalonians 1-5

Devotion by Emilee (Ross) Christian

The book of 1 Thessalonians covers a lot. Shout out to the Wednesday night Bible study group at Jaynes Street in Omaha, NE and Pastor Isaac! Last Spring we took our time diving into all Paul had to say in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. This sparked some great discussions and I recommend a deeper study into this book. While reading through it this time around, I was struck by one theme in particular: unity. We live in a world with so much division. In this letter, Paul urges us to get along with everyone and gives us a few pointers on how to do so. 

First, Paul advises us to “live a quiet life, minding your own business” (4:11 NLT). It’s interesting how this comes after his instructions for holy living. In yesterday’s reading we saw Paul correcting a group of people for their unholy idol worship and leading them in love towards the truth. Christians are given clear instructions to be ambassadors for Christ, sharing the good news. I believe there is a right way and a wrong way to go about doing that. Basically, avoid causing drama for drama’s sake. If you want to offer your opinion, make sure it is done with the right heart and mindset. Treat others with dignity and respect. Let that be the first thing people notice about you, rather than preachy words for holier living. 

It is clear from this letter, and others, that a strong work ethic was important to Paul. Paul was proud of his ability to support himself through his tentmaking trade while he was a missionary. He urges believers to “work with their hands…then people who are not believers will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others” (4:11 & 12 NLT). I believe Paul is wanting the church to take an active role in society, not a passive one. We can be a people set apart, holy, and chosen by God while still serving the unchurched. 

How do we do this? How do we live transformed without shunning the world? It’s quite easy, actually. “Be patient with everyone” and “do good to each other and to all people” (5:14 & 15). I hope my sarcastic humor is coming through these typed words. It is certainly not easy to remain patient with all people. Simply put, there are a lot of idiots out there – ourselves included. God has remained faithful and patient with us. Give this patience to others. Even those with whom you disagree. Yesterday, Paul approached the Athens people with patience. He didn’t accuse them of pagan worship, but rather approached them as a group of misunderstood people whom he sought to lead towards truth. I wonder what it would be like if we treated those with differing ideas from us as toddlers who truly know no better. 

Finally, there was one place where the theme of unity struck me the most, in reading Paul’s words for the hope of the resurrection. This might seem an odd place to find unity as there are differing end of life and end of time doctrine. Those in the church of God Conference know this especially all too well. While passages like this seem to support a sleep of the dead theology, Paul’s intentions for writing these words on the resurrection were not so much to teach as they were to encourage. The hope of the resurrection is not meant to cause division but to encourage us in the future glory we will share with Jesus. The timeline and order of events is not as important as the actual event. We know that there will be a day where we will be with the Lord forever. THAT is our hope. This is not to say that the when, the where, the how, are not also important, but they don’t seem to be Paul’s focus of his resurrection writings to the Thessalonians. More than once Paul mentions how he doesn’t need to write to the church about such things as they are already aware (5:1, 5:4). Rather Paul says he is writing about the resurrection to “encourage each other” and “build each other up” (4:18, 5:11 NLT). Until today, I had only looked at this resurrection passage as supporting a particular doctrine. When I read Paul’s closing statements as to why he wrote such things I was hit with the sad realization that we as Christians, myself included, have allowed the hope of the resurrection to be a dividing point in our faith rather than something that unites us. 

Reflection Questions

  1. I challenge you today to look for ways you have allowed divisions to occur between you and others. How can we take Paul’s instructions for unity and apply in our lives, today? 
  2. How do we live transformed without shunning the world?
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Children of the Light

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 9-10

Poetry: Psalm 94

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 5

            The start of 1 Thessalonians 5 shares the promising truth of Jesus’s return. We can rest assured as children of light and look forward to Jesus’s glorious return that will usher in the Kingdom of God. This mindset of being children of light or being light itself is shared in the following passages:

“For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” Ephesians 5:8

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Our identity is found within the Bible. We can find peace and hope in our identity. You are a child of light. You are light through Christ. This means you are filled with the love and goodness of God, and your life has been sanctified through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. What you have read about in the last few devotionals are all centered around living out this light. Living in a manner that brings glory to God by shining your light to all those around you. 

            I grew up going to Midwest Family Camp every year. One of the most important items I would pack would be a flashlight. The walk from the tabernacle to the girls’ yurts was long and dark at night so that flashlight made it less likely to trip and fall over uneven ground. One of my friends would commonly forget her flashlight so most years we would walk together sharing the light. It would have been selfish to have kept the light to myself and it would have caused her to stumble and fall without it. The same applies to the light we have received from Christ. It is not something to be hidden under a bushel, we have to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Allow the identity you find through Christ to shine forth to those around you. 

            Take Solomon as an example of this. Was he a perfect guy? Absolutely not. But as you read in today’s readings his actions and skills shined brightly to those around him. The queen that visited Solomon saw how much God cared for His people through the actions of Solomon. She recognized the glory of God because of Solomon. He did not hide the light that God had given him. Solomon worked hard and would always point his work back to God, like you have read in the last few days of 2 Chronicles. God’s light and love shines through all His children. Don’t hide it!

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

1- What has been the main takeaway of 1 Thessalonians?

2- How has King Solomon’s life served as an example to you?

3- What is one way you can shine your light to those around you?

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Quiet Living

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 7-8

Poetry: Psalm 93

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 4

1 Thessalonians 4 continues in the instruction of how believers should be living. Paul commends the people in Thessalonica for doing well in following God’s commands and encourages them to do even more. Paul writes that God calls us to sanctification. Sanctification means to be made clean or holy. God calls us to be clean and holy. He provides this cleansing through Christ’s death and resurrection. Hebrews 10:10 says “By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (NASB95). This verse is in the midst of a passage that expresses that Jesus’s sacrifice is sufficient for us and there will be sanctification and forgiveness through his sacrifice. It aligns with what Paul writes confirming that we have been made clean from our sins through Christ. 

In the 2 Chronicles reading for today, some of that same theme of cleansing/forgiveness of sin can be seen. God appears to Solomon after the finishing of the temple and tells Solomon that He will be present in the temple. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.” God has often reminded His people that He will forgive their sins. In the time of Solomon, the cleansing of sins was sought through prayer with an animal sacrifice. Hebrews shows that the sacrifices are no longer needed because of Christ and 1 Thessalonians encourages how to live out this cleansing of sins. 

In 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12, Paul discusses one of the ways to live a sanctified life. Paul reminds the readers to love one another which God has taught them previously. In the case of the Thessalonians they were doing well with showing this brotherly love to those around them. Because they are doing well, Paul encourages them to love even more. What a high praise to have received from Paul and great encouragement to continue not only in doing well but to do it even more! If Paul wrote you a letter inspired by God, would he praise you for the love you show others or would he need to teach you what it means to love those around you? 

            1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you” (HCSB).  This reminds me of Hebrews 12:14 which says, “Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (NASB95). A quiet life that pursues peace with all people can be a difficult life to lead. Living a quiet life that is minding your own business and seeking peace with those around you is centered around living out our sanctification. Through our forgiveness, we are called to love those around us which looks like living quietly, minding our own business, and seeking peace. 

            If you’re in any social setting where people are involved, it can be difficult to both love them deeply and also mind your own business while trying to pursue peace. Everyone has something that you won’t like about them. It might annoy you and get on your nerves. It could be anything from a difference of beliefs or political views, to the way someone pronounces a specific word. It’s really easy to get frustrated and lash out at someone who is annoying you, but that is not living out our sanctification. When a moment comes where you are feeling frustrated, annoyed, upset, or angry with someone, try to take a moment to remember the two verses from the previous paragraph. When in a place of disagreement or frustration, seeking peace and loving the person takes priority over being right and having your way. Showing grace and forgiveness will display the forgiveness you have received. It will also allow the person to feel loved and cared for. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection:

  1. How do you live out sanctification in your life?
  2. When someone is getting on your nerves or you come to a disagreement, how do you seek to live peacefully and quietly with them?
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Changed

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 1-2

Poetry: Psalm 91

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1

Key Verses: “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

In 1 Thessalonians 1, we see Paul praising the church of Thessalonica due to their receptiveness of the gospel message and their life changes that came from following the Word of God. Instead of living in sin, they turned their lives around to honor God and their example was seen by other believers. Those in Thessalonica were not the only ones who had a pivotal life change due to their faith. Take the author of this letter, Paul, as an example. He had been a devout Jew who persecuted the Christians and attempted to put a stop to the spread of the gospel message. After being confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul had a pivotal life change that would impact people for generations. To this day, Paul and his inspired writings shape the lives of people around the world. 

This pivotal life change that the people in Thessalonica experienced and that Paul had experienced due to their faith in God and His son Jesus, wasn’t uncommon. God has been working in the lives of His people since the beginning of the world. In the reading of 2 Chronicles today, we see a life change God grants to King Solomon. Even the King of another nation recognized the gifts and talents God himself had given Solomon. The gifts of wisdom and knowledge shaped King Solomon’s reign and allowed the kingdom of Israel to prosper. What an impressive life change for King Solomon. 

God continues to grant gifts to His believers and change the lives of those who follow Him. Galatians 5:22-25 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” When we repent from our sins and commit our lives to Christ, there is a pivotal life change that happens. We are granted the holy spirit as a gift that produces good fruit and spiritual gifts in order to be imitators of Christ. It is a slow work in progress to hone your skills and to produce the positive fruit of the spirit, but it will be worth it! Each person has been called to be an imitator of Christ and to dedicate their life to God. The way we spend our time, the things we say, and how we treat other people will serve as an example of our faith. Those in Thessalonica lived as imitators of Christ producing good fruit that was seen by those around them. King Solomon was recognized by the gifts God had granted him because of his faith. How are you impacting those around you? Can you be seen as one imitating Christ, standing in your faith, and working with your spiritual gifts granted by God? Reflect on these things as you go about your day today. 

-Makenna Landry

Reflection Questions

  1. How have you been changed by your faith?
  2. What does it look like to imitate Christ? If others started imitating you – what would they start doing? What would they stop doing? Are there any more changes you want to work on in your own life, with the help of the holy spirit, to be imitating Christ Jesus better?
  3. Just like Makenna asked: How are you impacting those around you? Can you be seen as one imitating Christ, standing in your faith, and working with your spiritual gifts granted by God?
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God’s Fellow Worker

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 25-27

Poetry: Psalm 148

* New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 3

Have you even been introduced to someone as God’s fellow worker? It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Paul described Timothy as, “our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you (the Thessalonians) in your faith” (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Could you be described as God’s fellow worker?

I am impressed in this chapter (1 Thessalonians 3) with Paul’s obvious heart for his fellow workers (there was a reason they were called brothers even though they had no blood relations) and his heart for the church – some of whom he had not known long and had only spent a short time with. And yet, with the good news Timothy brought of the Thessalonians’ strong faith and love Paul says, “For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord” (1 Thess 3:8). You can hear his heart filled with joy. For now we really live!

Paul had been concerned that when he and his fellow workers moved on to carry the gospel message to other towns the tempter might be successful in tempting the young Thessalonian church away from true faith in God and love for Him and one another. It is a very real and powerful threat that is still active and alive today. It is why the armor of God is so important. Thankfully, the Thessalonians were standing strong.

Another way that Paul shows his heart is through his prayers – night and day – most earnestly – remembering the Thessalonians, praying they might see each other again, and praying that their faith would be strengthened even more. This is an important reminder to keep praying for our brothers and sisters in the church – even if they appear to be doing alright and don’t have any known health problems (often the most common needs on the church prayer list). The tempter is always looking for little cracks in the armor. Prayer is huge. Keep at it. Night and day. Most earnestly. Remember your extended church family in your prayers. Pray for their faith to be strong and growing – with any gaps filled in to present a stronger front against the tempter.

Healthy faith displays action and love. Pray also that love will be increased – love for each other (the church) and also for “everyone else” (vs. 12) including those outside who need to know God and His Son Jesus. Increasing love. Love is a beautiful thing – but increasing love is even so much better. Don’t be content being a loving person – strive and pray to have increasing love. Be a parent, a spouse, a neighbor, a boss, a co-worker, a missionary, one of God’s fellow workers with increasing love. Pray for increasing love for yourself, each other and everyone else.

AND – of course we have to end this devotion as Paul ends every chapter in 1 Thessalonians – REMEMBER – Jesus is coming back!! So live your life preparing for that day! As Paul says so well – “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” This is my prayer for you – my fellow SeekGrowLove reader. Blameless and holy, I hope to see you there. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Wh0 has been God’s fellow workers with you? What have they done for you and for God? Do they know how much you appreciate them?
  2. How is your faith and love doing – if someone were sent to give Paul a report on you and your church’s faith and love what would Paul hear back? Would he rejoice that you are standing firm? Where can your faith grow, filling in the gaps? How can your love increase?
  3. Pray the prayers of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 3 (for faith filled in, increasing love and blameless/holy people ready to stand/bow before God when Jesus returns) for yourself, and your church family and extended church family. Use specific names God brings to mind. Repeat night and day – most earnestly.
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Your Joy

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 22-24

Poetry: Psalm 147

*New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 2

In the first chapter of First Thessalonians, which we discussed a little yesterday, we see Paul commending the Thessalonians for welcoming the gospel message with joy, even in the face of severe suffering. He is thankful for their work, labor and hope. They had left behind their idols and were serving God and waiting for the return of His Son. Paul notes how they became imitators of him and of the Lord. It is obvious they had first of all listened and believed the message; but then they were also doing, working, sharing the message and actively being a model to others so that “the Lord’s message rang out from you…your faith in God has become known everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:8).

I love this picture of Paul’s effective ministry! People have heard the message, they have responded, changed their lives and are serving God. The Lord’s message is now ringing out from the ones Paul shared the Scriptures with! This is a beautiful picture of an effective ministry. This is what I want. Do you want it, too?

Keep in mind, ministry is not just for the licensed pastor. Being a minister of God’s word to God’s creation is for the SS teacher, the elder, the parent, the prayer warrior, the family member, the neighbor, the co-worker who has a heart for God and following his commands and loves people enough to show them the way to be saved through Jesus. Are you a minister? I hope so. Am I a minister? I hope so. If so, let’s do it well. What can we learn from Paul about effective ministry? There’s a lot of wise answers in this short chapter of 1 Thessalonians 2 – here are some of my favorites.

– Know that you don’t do it alone. ONLY do ministry with God’s help. It is HIS gospel message and he will give you the courage and knowledge to share it the way He desires (vs 2).

-Expect some strong opposition. Opposition doesn’t always mean you should stop what you are doing. Sometimes (vs. 2) it means you need God’s help to be bold and carry on because you are doing God’s work and man is opposing you. Other times Paul was stopped from doing what He thought God wanted him to do because God wanted him to do something else. Sometimes, it is Satan opposing us (vs. 18) and we pray and pray some more. In this particular instance Paul found other ways to continue his ministry – can’t go to Thessalonica now but can send Timothy and write letters. Prayerfully consider the source of the opposition before you decide how to proceed.

-Watch yourself so you don’t spread untruths or have impure, selfish motives or use trickery or flattery. Don’t pretend to be someone you are not, don’t be greedy – that’s a huge turn-off (vs. 3 & 5).

-DON’T work to please men. Work to please GOD! (vs. 4) A ministry built to please men will NOT be pleasing to God. It will crumble. Men (and women) are fickle and wrong and selfish and proud and sinners – don’t spend your efforts trying to make them happy and trying to have them like you. God is right and holy and awesome and love and perfect and just. What He says is the One that matters. Live your life and do your ministry to hear His praise and not man’s (vs.6). That doesn’t mean people don’t matter! They matter so much Jesus died for them. But their opinions, wants and view of the truth are always inferior to what God wants and knows to be true. Seek to always please God not men.

-Be gentle – like a mother. And encouraging – like a father. Help them feel valued, important and safe – while urging them to life lives worthy of God who is calling them into his kingdom and glory (vs 7-12). Share your life with them. Be genuinely interested in who they are. Paul wasn’t a street corner evangelist yelling at people as they walked by. He definitely spent a lot of time helping people study and learn the Scriptures – he also spent time working alongside people and having deep discussions – just like a spiritual parent.

So those were some of my favorite pearls of wisdom on how Paul did his effective ministy. Read the chapter to find your own favorites. And then, pray and get to work. We are called to make disciples. What will your ministry look like? How will you imitate Paul and Jesus and the early church which are models for us?

And, as this chapter ends again with a most important theme and reminder, so this devotion ends with the same – Jesus is coming back. Paul was looking forward to the day not only for his sake – but for the joy he would have in standing next to his spiritual brothers and sisters whom he had ministered to in Thessalonica and many other places. They would be his crown, glory and joy as they too were now anxiously anticipating and prepared for the return of Jesus. Look around you today. Prayerfully consider – who is God calling you to minister to? Who is he asking you to prepare for the return of Christ? How is he asking you to do it? Who do you want to be standing next to when Jesus returns, knowing that they are your joy?

-Marcia Railton

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you have a ministry? What does it look like? How is it similar and different from Paul’s? What do you want it to look like?
  2. What could you do to make your life and ministry more pleasing to God? Pray about it and make a plan with steps to move in this direction.
  3. Prayerfully consider – who is God calling you to minister to? Who is he asking you to prepare for the return of Christ? How is he asking you to do it? Who do you want to be standing next to when Jesus returns, knowing that they are your joy?
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Ring Out!

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 19-21

Poetry: Psalm 146

New Testament: 1 Thessalonians 1

How often does the Lord’s message ring out from you? How often do you mention and talk about the return of Jesus Christ? Have you had the joy of seeing someone you told about Jesus telling others about Jesus even in the midst of trial and persecution?

Before we jump into 1 Thessalonians, let’s back up a minute to consider the city of Thessalonica, its church, and the missionary, Paul , who would be writing this letter to them. We know from Acts 16 that Paul had not necessarily planned to include this Macedonian (northern part of Greece) city in his second missionary trip. He had wanted to go into the province of Asia but was prevented from traveling there by the Holy Spirit. Then Paul received the vision at night of the man from Macedonia calling out for help – and Paul and his companions went right away.

First stop – Philippi, which ended with a jail stay with Silas, complete with a hymn sing, an earthquake and a saved jailer. It was time to move on. Next stop, Thessalonica. When Paul answers the call of the Macedonian man in his vision he answers big. Thesssalonica was the largest city, the capital city of Macedonia. It was known for its seaport as well as its major highway, commerce, wealth, and strong Greek (pagan) character which all combined together to create a booming city of sin. A city of sin in need of the message of Jesus. A city of sin in need of the message of Jesus and needing to know that Jesus is coming back.

Thessalonica did have the benefit of a Jewish synagogue and community with some God-fearing Greeks as well. So as was his custom, that is where Paul would start. Acts 17 tells that Paul spent three Sabbaths in the synagogue teaching about Jesus from the Scriptures. Some believed, others were jealous of this new missionary with a new message about the Messiah who had come once and would come again. They created a mob which you can read about in Acts 17:5-9 but the end result was that Paul and Silas fled from Thessalonica that night (sent by the brothers) and would travel on to meet and minister to the Bereans (who were more noble than the Thessalonians because they examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11) Perhaps that daily searching in the Scriptures could be one of the reasons why we don’t have a letter or two from Paul to the Bereans in our New Testament?

Anyway, that’s the background information we are given on Paul’s ministry to Thessalonica. He likely hadn’t been there too long – perhaps only 3 weeks, perhaps a little longer -but he spent that time teaching them the Scriptures about Jesus. The newfound Christian church there would definitely see more persecution as those in the city had not only persecuted Paul while he was there but even sent agitators to Berea when they heard Paul was preaching there. They would not stop just because Paul was out of town. It wasn’t an easy town to be a new Christian in – maybe you can relate.

Fast forward a few months and Paul is now in the city of Corinth. In his first letter to them Paul would tell the Thessalonians he had wanted to come see them again and again to see how they were standing up- but Satan had prevented it. So, he did the next best thing – he had sent Timothy to go check things out. Timothy had just returned to Paul with overall good news about the church in Thessalonica, as well as a few things to iron out in their understanding and actions – and so Paul would take the occasion to write a letter to them – and thus we have the the book of 1 Thessalonians. What would he tell them that we should hear, too?

-In prayer, thank God always for those who are standing strong in the faith.

-To be one others will thank God for, your faith must produce work, your love must lead to labor, and your hope in your Lord Jesus Christ must give you endurance. How are you doing in those areas?

-Realize that God’s message is for all those loved and chosen by God – share it, don’t hoard it.

-People are imitating you – make sure you are imitating Jesus.

-Keep doing what Jesus (and Paul) would do – even in the midst of suffering.

-The Holy Spirit wants to see the message spread and gives power and joy when the message is received and welcomed.

-Let the Lord’s message ring out from you! Everywhere! Let your faith in God be known! Everywhere! (Pick a spot to start today – you can’t start with everywhere – but you can start somewhere.)

-Change! Turn away from your idols (self, pride, worldly attitudes and actions, sin) to serve the living and true God.

-God raised Jesus from the dead to rescue us from the coming wrath at the time of judgment. Wait faithfully for God’s Son to return from heaven. He wants to rescue you, but not just you.

It is a great time to note that each of the 5 short chapters in this letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica will end with teaching and encouragement regarding the return of Jesus Christ – and why it makes a difference in how you live your life today. How will you live your life today because Jesus is coming back?

-Marcia Railton

Reflection Questions

  1. Does the Lord’s message ring out from you? If so, how and when? If not, what can – and will – you do to make it so, how and when?
  2. Who do you know who needs to be saved from wrath? Who may God be calling you to spread the good news to -perhaps its not who you were thinking of first? Ask God to show you who and how and have a stronger passion for sharing the good news. Remember – Jesus is indeed returning and it is closer today than ever before. Why is this important?
  3. How are your work, labor and endurance holding up? Do you need to fine-tune your faith, love and hope in order to see more/better work, labor and endurance?
  4. What do you love about 1 Thessalonians 1? It’s so short re-read it a couple of times today.
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Rejoice Always

1 Thessalonians 5

Thursday, September 1, 2022

I have always loved 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  It is a very short verse.  In fact, in Greek, it is the shortest verse with only 2 words that combined have a total of 14 characters, whereas John 11:35 is 3 words with a combined total of 16 characters.  However, this verse has a big message behind those two words.
1 Thessalonians 5:16 is all about joy.  It commands you to have joy and to express it all the time.  This is a command that is repeated throughout many other passages in the Bible, including Philippians 4:4 and Psalm 32:11.  But, how many of us are constantly showing joy?  We all have times in our lives when it is hard to show joy.  For some people it may be the morning when they just woke up.  For others it might be right after finding out bad news.  Whatever it may be, you have had it try to stop you from feeling joy.  But, we need to each make the choice to choose joy.  In choosing joy, you are choosing to focus not on the problems you are momentarily facing, but on the gifts that God has given you.  We need to not choose joy sometimes, but all the time.


However, having joy all the time only partially fulfills what you are being commanded to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  You are supposed to be rejoicing!  Rejoicing is more than just having the feeling of joy.  It is expressing that feeling of joy.  When I think of showing joy, I think of the song “I’ve Got Joy,” which says,


“I’ve got joy down in my heart,
Deep, deep down in my heart!
J-O-Y down in my heart,
Deep deep down in my heart!
Jesus put it there
And nothing can destroy it!
I’ve got joy down in my heart,
Deep, deep down in my heart!”


I love singing this song and it always brings a smile to my face when everyone is doing the motions for it.  But what makes this song even better are the little changes my family has made to the song, which were inspired by our friend Jeff.  Instead of singing the lyrics, “joy down in my heart, deep, deep down in my heart,” we sing, “joy exploding out of his head, deep, deep out of his head.”  We should all have such evident joy that the only way to describe it to others is to say that it is exploding out of your head.  Not only should it be exploding out of our heads sometimes, but it should be exploding out of our heads all the time, as we obey the command to rejoice always.


However, that is not the end to the slight changes my family has made to this song.  Instead of singing the lyrics, “And nothing can destroy it,” we sing, “And nothing can contain it.”  Our joy should not only always be exploding out of our heads, but we shouldn’t let anything stop it from exploding.  Nothing should be allowed to contain our joy inside our heads!  Our joy should always be exploding out!

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. On a scale of 1-10 how well do you choose joy? On the same scale, how well do you express that joy? One more time, on the same scale, how well do you express that joy all of the time?
  2. What do you sometimes allow to steal, destroy or contain your joy?
  3. We know life can be hard. We also know God is good. What blessings from God can you choose to focus on today? (Visit yesterday’s devotion if you need a blessing to start your list.)
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

An Even Better Story Coming

1 Thessalonians 4

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

I have always enjoyed reading the Chronicles of Narnia.  As I read them, I love to compare the story to what is written in the Bible.  Of all the books in the series, my favorite is The Last Battle.  I love seeing the old characters, the Pensieves, returning to the series.  1st Thessalonians 4 is describing the time when people come back into the story, just like the Pensieves coming back into the Chronicles of Narnia.


Verse 17 says, “Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.”  Can you imagine being able to see the dead in Christ?  There will be the reunions to loved ones and the meeting of the heroes of faith.  In The Last Battle, those who were still alive at the very end are excited to meet Lord Diggory and Lady Polly because they were in Narnia in the very beginning.  But, even more, they loved meeting their old relatives and friends.


While seeing the dead in Christ will be great, there is an even better promise in verse 17: “We shall always be with the Lord.”  We get to spend eternity with the Lord!  That is a great promise that we can look forward to the fulfillment of.  We know that when the kingdom comes, it will be a life beyond comparison.  A life that none of us will ever be able to even start to imagine.  


The Last Battle ends with these few sentences: “[T]he things that happened after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them.  And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after.  But for them it was only the beginning of the real story.  All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”


The lives of Peter, Edmund, and Lucy as they were written in the earlier books, with the amazing adventures in the land of Narnia, was nothing to compare with their life in the new Narnia.  They were beginning an even better book which no one on earth will ever read, where life just gets better and better.  We have this to look forward to where we also will have such amazing lives in the kingdom that they will be nothing to compare to this life.  There is an even better story coming that we can’t even begin to fathom!

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions to Discuss and Reflect Upon

  1. What order of events does Paul relate to the Thessalonians in chapter 4 so that they will not be, “uninformed about those who sleep in death” (verse 13) ? Is this the same or different as what you hear at most Christian funerals? Could it be there are many today uninformed about those who sleep in death?
  2. What are you most looking forward to at the time of Jesus’ return? Remembering this, how will it change your day today?
  3. After telling the Thessalonians what they have to look forward to, Paul said to, “Encourage one another with these words” (vs 18). How can you do that today?
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

Standing Firm in the Lord

1 Thessalonians 3

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

When reading this chapter, the joy Paul had stood out to me.  Paul faced challenge after challenge, obstacle after obstacle as he worked to spread the gospel, yet he is still full of joy.


Paul starts the chapter by talking about how he feared that the Thessalonians would be led astray by the temptations and afflictions they would face.  He says that for this reason, he asked someone to report on their faith, hoping that all his work there wouldn’t have been in vain.  But when Timothy returned with a report about the Thessalonians, it became clear that they had stood firm in their faith through all the persecution they faced.


In verse 7, Paul writes that he and his companions were comforted by the news that Timothy brought.  The good news about the Thessalonians was so great that it provided comfort in the midst of affliction!  Paul states that they now really live if the Thessalonians stand firm in their faith.  The Thessalonians provided so much joy to the lives of Paul and his companions that it feels like they just started to really live!  In verse 9, Paul asks what thanks they can give to God for all the joy he has about the Thessalonians.  There is so much joy that he doesn’t even know how to put it into words to thank God.  This joy is so overwhelming that he can’t even start to understand how much thanks he needs to give God.


Are you filling others with as much joy as Paul is full of from the Thessalonians?  Are those who taught you the Bible filled with joy from the way it has changed your life?  Paul’s joy came from seeing that he was able to make this impact on the Thessalonians and that they were able to continue standing firm.  We each need to be like the Thessalonians, providing joy to our teachers and others as we continue to walk in the way of the Lord.


Are you filled with joy like Paul?  God has provided each of us with much more than we ever deserved.  None of us deserve salvation, but God offered it to each one of us.  Our lives should be full of joy because of this great gift.  I can’t even begin to thank God enough for everything that He has given me!


Paul’s response to this joy is shown in verse 10.  He says that he and his companions are earnestly praying that they may see the Thessalonians again and continue to strengthen their faith.  He doesn’t claim that his job is now done, as the Thessalonians were able to stand up to opposition.  Instead, he says that he wants to visit to teach them even more, to make them even stronger, lacking nothing in their faith.


What is your response to being filled with joy?  We need to be constantly giving thanks for all that we have been given, night and day praising God.  Are you asking God that you can continue to do the work which He has prepared for you or are you saying that your job is done?  This joy should cause you to want to do even more, spreading the good news to all those around you so that they too might experience this joy.

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. What is the biggest challenge you face in standing firm in the Lord? How can you ask for help from your brothers and sisters in Christ? (If you don’t have a church family yet – make it your first priority to find one!)
  2. Are there brothers and sisters or children in the faith that give you great joy when you see how they are standing firm in the faith even in the midst of trials? Let them know.
  3. Spend an extra ten minutes in prayer today thanking God.
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload