Daily Devotional for Tuesday, May 7

The Thessalonians’ Trial

“So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure,” 2 Thessalonians 1:4.

Missionaries who plant churches are naturally proud of a congregation flourishing in the Lord. Victories, no matter how small, are celebrated, and the Lord receives much praise and thanks. However, for the church planter, the pride is usually internal and shared with those closest to him or to the planting process. The boasting could be taken as pride in himself for a job well done. We know the danger there: loving the praise of men is our only reward (Matthew 6:1-6; John 12:43). Therefore, the praise remains in-house between the church, the planter and the Lord.

However, when we read 2 Thessalonians 1:4, we see the opposite. Paul and the team are openly boasting as loudly as they can in writing. Paul used intense language like “we ourselves” and a compound word for boasting that means to express an unusually high degree of confidence in someone or something being exceptionally noteworthy. They were not hiding their pride but purposely using wording that conveyed it with joy and thankfulness, and Paul praised the Thessalonian’s amazing faith. They wrote to encourage and strengthen the Thessalonian believers and Christians who were facing indescribable hardships. Intense encouragement matched their intense persecution. This high praise surely brought resolve and helped them to keep pressing on.

The Thessalonians were facing persecution for their new faith in Christ and tribulations likely connected to their faith as well. The Jews in Thessalonica were ruthless (Acts 17:5-10, 13) and made life extremely difficult for followers of the Way. No doubt their tactics were similar to those of Saul of Tarsus (before the Damascus Road). Yet, despite immense trouble and danger, the Thessalonians protected and preserved their faith and trust in God. Their perseverance was active, not passive. In order to withstand the persecution, they actively stood together and trusted the One who would see them through.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY
When persecution comes, patience and faith build perseverance to stand.

Kelli Reynolds