Henderson Hills Baptist Church

Due to a busy Christmas schedule, I am reposting a previous post from 1 Thessalonians.  May His Word continue to bless, encourage, and challenge you in your daily walk with Him.

                                                         Satan Prevented Us, But You Encouraged Us - Part Two

"Dear brothers and sisters, after we were separated from you for a little while (though our hearts never left you), we tried very hard to come back because of our intense longing to see you again. We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when He returns? It is you! Yes, you are our pride and joy. Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless. But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith. May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May He, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all His holy people. Amen." (1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13, NLT)

Yesterday we considered what Paul had to say about the power of Satan to disrupt plans and inhibit God’s work in our lives. Let’s now look at the other side of the coin. While Satan can slow us down and even stall our progress, God can use the church to encourage and empower.

Paul had been separated from his dear friends in the Thessalonian church for an extended period of time. Remember, he was a man who had seen it all, the good, bad, and ugly. So while he prayed and hoped for the best news about their continued progress in Christ, he feared the worst. As said, he was afraid that “the Tempter had gotten the best of them." It is easy to jump to a negative conclusion, particularly when you’ve experienced disappointment and pain. Many of us will “catastrophize” by imagining the worst case scenarios and possibilities. I’m afraid that I’ve done that too many times. Paul found himself thinking the worst. Why do we go down that path? The answer is simple; it was because he was human, just like us. We might join with the fearful father by saying, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). We can have great faith but still struggle with doubt. The problem isn’t the doubting, the problem is not seeking the answer.

In the midst of Paul’s frustrated attempts to go to Thessalonica to see if all was well or if Satan had gotten the best of them, Timothy returns to inform the apostle that their faith was strong. Did you notice Paul’s reaction? Reread verses 7 and 8. I imagine the aged apostle jumping up from his seat, throwing his hands in the air, spinning around and crying out “Praise God!” with tear filled eyes.
This glimpse into his life tells us a great deal about Paul, but it also shows us the power that Christians have to encourage one another. In fact, encouragement should be an important part of our ministry to others in the church (1 Thess 5:11; Heb 10:24-25). How can we be an encouragement? Well, try this today; spend time with Christian friends talking about what Jesus means to you. Isn’t it interesting how we meet together and talk about the weather (and there is a lot to talk about in Oklahoma), sports, the news, and all kinds of other topics and fail to talk about the love of our life, Jesus! When you see a friend, tell them about what you learned in your devotional life, how you witnessed an answer to prayer, or how you see God at work around you. Like Paul, the Tempter is trying to get the best of us. Be on a mission to spread encouragement and remember that encouragement and hope are found in Christ.

1 Peter 3:18

Dennis

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