Scripture Passage that caught my attention today: 1 Thessalonians 3:1-3 Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, 3 so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for.
Observation: the phrase “bear it no longer” comes up twice in this chapter. Paul was incredibly anxious about the Thessalonians and just had to know how they were doing.
Application: Sometimes we can’t help but wonder how people are doing, especially those near and dear to us. This coming year our eldest will be a high school senior. Our time with him is limited. The college search is intensifying and, at least in the case of a couple of the potential options, could result in precious little time with him for the next several years. I suspect there will be many times when my wife and I will feel like we can “bear it no longer” and will really want to know how things are going. We might not have a ‘Timothy’ that we can send to check things out for us, but you can bet that we’ll cherish every piece of good news that we hear and that our prayers will be offered in a steady stream. Still, should forms of ‘persecution’ come, for him or for us, our hope as always will be in the crucified and risen one in whom we all belong.
Prayer: Lord, you are the great gatherer of all, keep us always gathered together in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(Readings today included: 1 Chronicles 22-24 and 1 Thessalonians 3)
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