2 Thessalonians 2:15


So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter ~ 2 Thessalonians 2:15

We are living in a time of both temptation and of suffering as we see the rise of COVID-19. The temptation is to not self-isolate, maybe more so for the young, as social distancing is a struggle for them. Young people enjoy gathering in common places, so for them to be told they must refrain from all their friends is very difficult. But for their social world, for their parents and grandparents to stay safe, this is what they, like us, must do. I also see this as a time to draw close to the Lord. It is a time when we must slow our pace down, spend quiet time alone or with our family, and not go about being busy, jumping from project to project. It is not a time to panic, for God is in control, for this we are taught. Our tradition puts our hope in Jesus Christ as the Scriptures grant us His knowledge. Christ is the central truth of the Bible, and now is the time to spend in reading its words. Jesus often went away by himself to pray, so we too have fewer interruptions for our prayer life. Stand fast in your prayers for this world, pray for those who are suffering from COVID-19, for the healthcare workers, for the families who are grieving, for our world to recover. Stand fast in the faith in which you were brought into the family of God, and upon the testimony within which you were saved. As Christians, I believe we are the appointed in this time to be the anchor which will hold the world stable. If we stand fast in our faith, others will see the God who holds us close. Spurgeon once said, “The weather is very bad just now spiritually,” and I say yes, it is, but it is also bad weather physically. Stand fast then, because of who you are in Christ.

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:26

Image
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans ~ Romans 8:26 Many days, many times, I have the words for prayer. It comes forth and flows fairly naturally as I converse with my Lord God. I hope in the God I worship to hear me, and to receive my words, as I pray in the name of Jesus and believe in Him, my intercessor. He is my Living Saviour, my High Priest, standing at the right hand of God the Father. But there are times when my pain has been so deep that my words will not come. There are times when my agony is so piercing that what words I may speak would not be enough. And so, in my deep, black moments, I come before my God and let my darkest emotions erupt in sounds that only He can understand. The Holy Spirit within me cries out in my stead, and He becomes my second intercessor. It is not that He is not there with me in all my prayers, but there are times wh...
Read more

Proverbs 18:2

Image
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in sharing their own opinions ~ Proverbs 18:2 If we are going to understand something, we must fully digest it so that when we speak, we speak with wisdom. When we have only half truths in our mind, our words become empty and senseless. We then puff out air rather than understanding when we speak. A wise person will want to improve their mind through learning in various ways from the world around them. A person who delights in spiritual understanding will find peace and enjoyment in reading the Word of God on a daily basis, and in participating with God’s people in a learning and praising environment – the church! We come together in corporate worship with the understanding that not one of us knows all things, but we bend our mind and heart to learn what God has to show and say to us. A foolish person makes a show of what they “know” to please their friends or to save face in front of them. More often a wise person will hold t...
Read more

Isaiah 43:19

Image
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert ~ Isaiah 43:19 When we meet a challenge, we are often found discouraged, lost, even hopeless. Nothing is working, everything seems to be against us. We do not know how to move forward, so we remain curled up in a ball. Then, a glimmer of light shines through! Hope is regained and movement is stirred within. Don’t we become excited when we begin to feel it? God moves like that. We cannot see our way around it, but He can and does. And He makes a way for us out of the calamity of our fears. It is the feeling of springtime after a long winter, or the smell of fresh cut grass. Life stirs within and we move and we see what God saw all the time – the answer to our dilemma. Our desert place becomes an oasis, and we can do what we are called to do. Something totally unexpected happens, something unheard of, but it begins in our life, and we feel the...
Read more