Passage of the Day:
We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore, we do not need to say anything about it,1 Thessalonians 1:2-8.
Reflection:
Whenever you begin working on a new project, the details necessary to complete this can be overwhelming. Progress takes time, which often means breaking your check list down into a series of steps. From a spiritual perspective, many citizens of Thessalonica initially rejected the good news about Jesus Christ as detailed by Luke in Acts 17:1-9. Nonetheless, God-fearing Greeks and some open-minded Jews placed their hope in Jesus, believing spiritual transformation was possible. This is where hope leads to the spiritual journey called faith.
Prayerful Action:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God., Hebrews 12:1-2.
Clinging to a Glimmer of Hope this Fall:
If hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen, entering into a personal relationship with Jesus requires a will to endure. Like entering into the spiritual union of marriage, you have to believe that you’ll commit to this relationship through thick and thin. The author of Hebrews writes about playing the long game, viewing a relationship with God to running a marathon. You never know if you’ll finish this race, but hope for spiritual transformation will keep you going when you want to quit.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Focusing on the negative often leads to broken relationships. However, when you remember the good, Philippians 4:8, hope for spiritual transformation will grow deep inside your heart and soul.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 