Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; Romans 5:1-5
Thu, 10 February 2022

Eminent Characteristics of God’s People (2)

Observation:

What is “labour of love” and “steadfastness of hope” in Paul’s thanksgiving to God for the Thessalonians?

Deeper Reflection
PAUL THANKED GOD FOR THE THESSALONIANS’ “Labour of love” after their “work of faith” (v.3). Elsewhere, Paul talks about “faith working through love” (Gal 5:6), thus linking faith and love. The Thessalonians expressed their love in “hard, strenuous and exhausting labour”36. True love is far from being simply an emotion, it seeks the best for the other and labours for the other’s benefit.37 The Thessalonians’ “labour of love” “refers to any kind of self-sacrificing labour the believers engaged in as they served those both inside and outside the community”38. Let this “labour of love” be found first in our marriage and family, and then flow out into the church and the world. The Thessalonians lived as a people of hope in the God of hope (cf. Rom 15:13). Their hope was marked by perseverance, endurance and steadfastness (v.3). Perseverance, endurance and steadfastness is possible when our hope is in a person – “in our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.3). And this presupposes a growing relationship with Christ as “Lord” in our lives and seeing Him as “Lord” sitting on the throne, ruling supremely over all things. And this hope is solid confidence rooted in the expectation of Christ’s coming, the goal and end of history. For Paul, perseverance is produced through suffering, and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope (Rom 5:3-4). “Character produces hope” means that hope is character.
36 Gene L. Green, 90 37 Gene L. Green, 90 38 Gene L. Green, 90
Application:

How am I growing in “labour of love” and “steadfastness of hope”?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for Outreach/Missions/New Life leaders: To grow deep in love and steadfast in hope
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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Daily Devo
Daily Devotional Journal
Scripture:
Daniel 7:13-18, 25-27; 11:29-36
Sat, 2 December 2023

The Triumph

Observation:

What characterises the triumph of God’s people in tribulations under tyrants?

Deeper Reflection
God’s people living under tyrants and suffering tribulations under them can triumph – whether we are delivered from or destroyed in tribulation. The triumph rests on a threefold confidence.We know the conclusion of evil. It is repeated in manifold ways in Daniel that evil that comes through inhuman kings – no matter how great and how long – will definitely come to an end: “he will be broken” (Dan 8:25), “he will be found no more” (Dan 11:19), “yet he will come to his end” (Dan 11:45) and “all these events will be completed” (Dan 12:7).We know God’s calling for us: To be a suffering people – to be captured, plundered, burned or killed (Dan 11:33). But in our suffering, we can be strong as “people who know their God” (Dan 11:32), knowing that God is purging and purifying us to become a sanctified (Dan 11:35; 12:10) and shining people who “shine brightly” with heavenly brightness in the hostile world (Dan 12:3). And we will be a steadfast people who “keep waiting and attain to the 1,335 days” (Dan 12:12) – until we become a sovereign people who “receive and possess the kingdom forever” from “the Ancient of Days” (vv.13-14, 18, 27).We know who is in control. The tribulations under the tyrants in Daniel 7 to 12 are all subject to and subsumed under “that which is decreed will be done” (Dan 11:36; 9:26, 27) “at the appointed time” (Dan 11:27, 29, 35).We conclude Daniel with this theological-discipleship summary statement: We can triumph in tribulations under tyrants when we trust with tenacity in the One who is on the throne.
Application:

How can I triumph in tribulations?

Prayer:
Write a prayer to God as your response from your meditation on and application of the Scriptures.
Prayer Pointers:
  • Give thanks and praise
  • Pray for Church Board: To grow in the faith and perseverance of overcomers in Christ
  • Pray for significant people
  • Pray for those in need
  • Pray for self

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