- Do not quench the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 – Make sure your life isn’t putting out the work of the Holy Spirit within your life. We can think of this like a fire and pouring water on it to put it out. That our sinful behavior can put out the work the Spirit wants to do in our life. Yet what’s another way you can quench a fire? How about not giving it the fuel it needs. The fuel that keeps the work of the Spirit in our life is our daily devotional life to Him. Yes, you choosing to follow after sin can quench the work the Spirit is wanting to do within you, but also refusing to daily follow God in your life can quench that work too. Your life with God is more than just turning away from sin, it’s also about turning to follow Him. Following means doing what it takes to keep in step with God like having Christian community, an active prayer life, and a scripture study life. Our life needs to be more than just an avoidance of sinning. It’s about an all in daily devotion to God. When we really step into that, the avoidance of sin comes along with that step. I love you, but Jesus loves you more- Mac
- Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Our role in each other’s life is to encourage and build up one another. When we read further on we see things being said like don’t repay evil for evil or rejoice always or pray without ceasing. Yes, these thing are meant to encourage your personal walk with Christ, but they also deeply help those around you to walk well. Imagine a person who is seeking to find the joy in every circumstance and you know is a strong prayer warrior, doesn’t being around someone like this encourage you and help you in your walk with God? Scripture isn’t simply giving us a to-do list with verses 12-22, it’s telling us how we can encourage and build up the lives of those around us. Realize that you have a role to play in other people’s walk with Christ. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1272
- Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – Today you are to rejoice. Today you are to pray. Today you are to give thanks. Always, without ceasing, and in all circumstances. Now while short in length, these verses are not always easy to follow because not every circumstance we find ourselves within fosters ease to follow such things. So how can we follow these scriptures here even when life isn’t making it easy to? We can rejoice for despite the lack and death we find from the world, we always have blessing and life from the Lord that is ever-present in our story. We have been blessed with an open line of communication with God through prayer, with no need to be in a certain building or posture to speak with Him. As for giving thanks, Spurgeon puts it this way, “When joy and prayer are married their first born child is gratitude.” For thanks isn’t always easy to give, nor is prayer always easy to make, nor is rejoicing always the thing we want to do. Yet each is a choice we can make today. For the choice to groan always, never pray, and give complaints in all circumstances, is also just as available to you. Yet which is going to be the most pleasing to the Lord, healthy for your walk with God, and will give the best witness to the lost? Choose to rejoice, choose to pray, and choose to give thanks. While difficult, your life will find blessing as a result of this choice for you are following the will of God for your life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2776
Daily DEVO 