Today's Meditation - Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Today's Meditation

Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly ³remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁴For we know, brothers and sisters^* beloved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of people we proved to be among you for your sake. ⁶And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, ⁷so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. ⁸For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place where your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. ⁹For the people of those regions^* report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, ¹⁰and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.

This is the first letter that Paul, with Silvanus (or Silas) and Timothy, wrote to the church in Thessalonica.  In fact, it may have been the first letter we have of all of Paul’s writing.  Thessalonica is now known as the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki and was a major city on the trade route to the East.  Paul’s main purpose for writing this letter was to encourage and reassure these new Christ followers. 

There are several important aspects of this passage.

•         First, Paul remembers their work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope in the Lord. 
•          Second, that they became imitators of Christ and became an example to all the believers in Macedonia, which was the name of the entire province at the time.
•          Third, that this imitation and example of Christian integrity has become known and has spread throughout the entire area.

Concentrate on the following questions today:

How are you being an example of a good Christian?

Are there areas in your life where you can improve?  What might you do to improve them?

I Have Decided to Follow Jesus and the story behind the hymn.