reassured

1 Thessalonians 3:7-13; Ps 90 Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy; Matthew 24:42-51

We have turned our attention to the community of Thessalonians. In this letter we are encountering Paul's message to the community after Timothy had reported to him what has been going on since Paul's departure.

Paul tell us "that is why I sent to find out about your faith when I could no longer stand the suspense, fearing the tempter had put you to the test and all our labor might have gone for nothing. But now, since Timothy had returned to us from you reporting the good news of your faith and love...we have been consoled."

Paul is uplifted by the report he received from Timothy. Paul is encouraged because the faith of the Thessalonians continues to be strong.

Think about that for a moment. When is the last time we have been consoled by the faith of someone else. We spend a lot of time focusing on making sure people have food, and clothing and shelter and financial security and rightly so. But when is the last time we zeroed in on the faith they profess, the faith they possess?

When is the last time we spoke the words of Paul, "the good news of your faith and love...we have been consoled."

Paul's focus is only on things that matter most of all, those things that have true consequences.

In verse 8 he tell us, "we shall continue to flourish, only if you stand firm in the Lord."

We all want to flourish, yet do we equate flourishing with standing firm in the Lord?


Paul ends this section of the letter with the following prayer of hope and encouragement, "May the Lord increase you and make you overflow with love for one another and for all, even as our love does for you. May he strengthen your hearts, making them blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones."

This is the same sentiment of the psalm for today, "Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. ANd may the gracious care of the Lord our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands!"


Flourishing and prosperity both seem to be equated with standing firm in the Lord. You got to stand for something, why stand for the one who stood firm for us all!

St. Louis pray for us.