2 Thessalonians 3:3

Throughout scripture, God’s faithfulness is a recurring theme. God is described as keeping his promise and lovingkindness for eternity (see Deuteronomy 7:9).  In this context, the Thessalonian church was facing persecution and false teachings at this time. This makes the assurance of God’s faithfulness a place of comfort for them. God assures His followers that he will strengthen them with his righteousness and power. This strength is not just physical, but it’s mental and spiritual. It enables believers to be able to walk through the trials of life unharmed and to be able to resist all temptations. God will also protect us from the adversary of the believers. Jesus reminds us to pray for rescue from the Adversary. This assurance is key for the Thessalonian church, which faced both spiritual and physical threats.

God’s strength is something we must rely on when we are in a time of weakness and struggle. God empowers us to overcome and endure challenges and trials. When we do this, we do not avoid chaos. God’s peace is not about avoiding turmoil but being able to withstand the chaos with peace. The peace during the chaos is something that we can never achieve on our own. I’ve experienced this – and there is nothing that I can saw about how it happened. I asked God for his justice to be served, and it lifted a weight of control and fear off of me. It allowed me to go forward doing what he asked. I trusted that he would take of things at the end of the day. God truly protected me from the evil desires that resided within me, strengthened me to continue on, and left me in a place to stay faithful with him.

Next slice of manna: Manna for the Mind #230