In this opening chapter of his second letter to the Thessalonians Paul is full of God. he can’t stop speaking about God. He mentions God directly at least 10 times, that is almost once for every verse in the chapter!! Take time to look and mark each reference to God in the chapter and meditate on one or two of the comments Paul makes. Let me mention some of them.
God is our Father [v1 and v2] – this reminds us of the work of Christ at Calvary. We are the children of God only through the death and resurrection of Christ. We have been adopted into His family. He is our heavenly Father and we enjoy a living relationship with a God who loves us and cares for us. He is not everyone’s Father, but only those who have trusted in His Son for salvation. The fatherhood of God is a huge topic and worth meditating on.
God is to be thanked [v3] – this makes the point that God is a real and living being. He is not some sort of power that is devoid of any personality. You don’t go to your electric meter and say ‘Thank you’ do you? [I hope not lol]. But God is a real, living being whom we can talk to and communicate with. We are to thank Him because He has done so much for us. He made us, He saved us and He keeps us. What can you be thankful to God for today?
God is righteous [v5] – Paul is speaking of the righteous judgement God will bring to pass on those who persecute His people. To say God is righteous means everything He does is right and true. He never makes a mistake; He never does anything wrong or evil. We may never fully understand why certain things go on in this world or happen to us, but those who know God, know the kind of God He is and are willing to trust Him even when things seem so unclear.
Tomorrow’s reading: 2 Thessalonians 2
