Daily Bread 12-10-18
2 Thessalonians 2:16,17
16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself. and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
17. Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
ref. - 1Jn 4:10 - Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
We come together in times of need and in times of despair. The strong try to bring comfort to the afflicted, and it feels good for a time. We also look at good examples on this earth an we try to fashion ourselves after them, but they eventually fade away or leave us. Our love for them makes us want to emulate or be like them, but if we have no change within our being the changes are temporary. That is, unless the strong that comforts us and the good example that we fashion ourselves after is Jesus Christ. It is not just our love or our admiration for him that changes our inner selves. As a matter of fact, its is not our love at all, it is the way that he loves us. You see, he loves us to the point that he suffered and died for each one of us. His sacrifice made it possible for us to live in a world where there is hope and consolation. Whatever our problem or hangup may be, the answer is given in Jesus Christ. This is not a temporary consolation, nor is it a temporary change. It is eternal. The comfort that we receive when we know that Jesus Christ is working in the midst of our lives is a comfort that we cannot receive anywhere else. The change that he makes in us through this comfort also changes the way we are driven and the way that we see things. It is an internal change that drives us to not only have good words and good works, but also to be established in them. Good words and good works become what we are known for, and who we are. As this was the prayer and hope for the Thessalonicans in this letter from Paul and the Church, it is also the prayer and good hope of the leadership of the Church and the Church as a whole. So, today, draw closer to Jesus Christ and ask him to change your heart so that you, too, may be established in not only the good words and the works that are recognized by the world, but more importantly, recognized by God!! Have a great day!!!