God’s Saving Word: Encouragement
Introduction
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10: Today we begin reading the apostle Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. Thessalonica was the capital city of the Roman province of Macedonia in northern Greece, and Paul established the church there after he left Philippi. His letter was written to encourage and reassure the community of believers there. Paul begins his letter with words of greeting, and he thanks the Thessalonians for becoming examples of faithfulness and love to all the believers throughout Greece.
Scripture Reading
1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy—
To the people of the church in Thessalonica, who belong to God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
May grace and peace be yours.
The Life and Faith of the Thessalonians
2 We always thank God for you all and always mention you in our prayers. 3 For we remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm. 4 Our friends, we know that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own. 5 For we brought the Good News to you, not with words only, but also with power and the Holy Spirit, and with complete conviction of its truth. You know how we lived when we were with you; it was for your own good. 6 You imitated us and the Lord; and even though you suffered much, you received the message with the joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. 7 So you became an example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 For not only did the message about the Lord go out from you throughout Macedonia and Achaia, but the news about your faith in God has gone everywhere. There is nothing, then, that we need to say. 9 All those people speak about how you received us when we visited you, and how you turned away from idols to God, to serve the true and living God 10 and to wait for his Son to come from heaven—his Son Jesus, whom he raised from death and who rescues us from God’s anger that is coming.
Today’s Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:3
We remember before our God and Father how you put your faith into practice, how your love made you work so hard, and how your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ is firm.
Reflect
Reread verse 3. Three words in this verse are significant—faith, love, and hope. What does Paul say about each of these three words? In what ways do you put your faith into practice?
Pray
Lord God, daily I praise you and thank you for your everlasting love and the hope that comes through your Son Jesus, who has rescued me from sin and death. Help me to put my faith into practice, and guide my thoughts, words, and actions this day. Teach me to be an example to others as I serve in your name. Amen.
Tomorrow’s Reading
1 Thessalonians 2:1-16: The apostle Paul reminds the Thessalonians of his work among them.
