Today's Reading:O.T. - 1 Chronicles 5 - 9
N.T. - 2 Thessalonians 1
Focus Verses: 2 Thes. 1:11-12
11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We 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.
Insight:
Paul was confident that God would one day put the world to rights. He was sure that judgment would be passed on all who rebelled against God and rejected Christ; he was just as convinced that blessing would be poured out upon all who had put their faith in Christ and followed him through thick and thin. With that in mind, he prayed for his Christian friends in Thessalonica -- that God would fulfill every good intention and every righteous act prompted by their faith. They wanted Jesus to be lifted up and glorified in their lives.
Response and Action:
My faith should help me persevere in times of trial, and prompt me toward good purposes and good deeds. As I act upon my faith, God's grace and power help me to accomplish this.
Help me, O Lord, to do the good things you've prepared in advance for me to do. I am your workmanship. May my faith in Jesus prompt me to delight in your will, to want what you want, and to do what you would be pleased and honored for me to do. Amen.
Proverbs: 5:22-23
"The evil deeds of a wicked man ensnare him; the cords of his sin hold him fast. He will die for lack of discipline, led astray by his own great folly."
Resources:
The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives
by Dallas Willard
