Are You Ready? - January 29

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:25-28

Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Reflect

What should we be doing while we wait for Christ’s return?

Today we conclude Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. One of the major themes has been to be ready for Christ’s return because it will come “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). We don’t know when He will come but He is faithful so we know that He is coming. We can count on it!

But what should we be doing in the meantime? Well, we can glean some insight into this question from Paul’s closing remarks. First, he asked the believers in Thessalonica to pray for them. Remember, Paul, Silas, and Timothy were the ones who had shared the Gospel with them. They were the ones who ministered to them and taught them the Word of God.

We learned from Acts 17 that their time in Thessalonica was cut short because an angry mob of Jewish religious leaders attacked Jason’s house looking for them. But even before they were in Thessalonica, they had faced severe persecution. In Philippi, they had been beaten and thrown into prison. You can review that miraculous story in Acts 16. The point is that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were risking much in order to share the Good News of the Gospel. They needed prayer.

Those who minister to you need your prayers as well. They have dedicated their lives to God’s work so pray that they would be effective preachers of the Gospel. But being a faithful preacher of the Word is not easy in a world that doesn’t want to hear it. Pray that God would strengthen them, encourage them, and work through them. Pray for your pastors!

Next, he commanded that they greet each other with a holy kiss. For many of us, this may seem like a strange request because it is not a cultural norm to greet each other with kisses. But it was normal in that culture and it still is in many cultures today. Paul’s point was that there should be genuine expressions of affection among the body of believers. We are the family of God and a family loves each other! We need to engage in loving fellowship with other Christians.

Then, Paul put them “under oath” to read his letter to all of the other believers. In other words, he made them swear to it before the Lord. Reading his letter aloud would have ensured that all people in the congregation would be encouraged and instructed by the apostle’s words whether they were able to read or not. All of the brothers and sisters in Christ would be gathered together in fellowship to hear the reading of his words. This underscores the importance of gathering together and reading Scripture aloud even today.

Finally, Paul closed his letter with these final words “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” His closing benediction blessed them with the grace of Christ.

So, what should we be doing while we wait for Christ’s return? Pray, especially for our Christian leaders. Love and care for your church family who are your brothers and sisters in Christ. Read Scripture, especially out loud as you are gathered together in fellowship. Finally, rest in the grace and peace of Christ. He is coming soon. Let’s all be ready!

Respond

Lord, I long for Your return. While I wait, help to love and serve my church family well. Be with our Christian leaders. Give them courage and strength. Help them to be faithful to Your Word, even in the midst of persecution. Thank You for Your Word. I will read it faithfully and proclaim it out loud to those around me. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Reveal

God’s Word reveals everything we need to know about Him and has the power to save those who are still lost. Share a passage of His Word today with someone who needs to hear it.