Todays readings.. Joshua 5&6, Isaiah 10, 2 Thessalonians 1&2

“WE ALWAYS PRAY … THAT OUR GOD MAY MAKE YOU WORTHY” 

The first 2 chapters of Paul’s 2^nd letter to the Thessalonians have some awesome – and thought challenging

Today, more than ever before, we live in a herd environment, a human herd.  Mass advertising in a great variety of media confronts us hour after hour, this creates a herd mentality. We reflected on this as we read Paul’s words this morning. 

He told the Thessalonians that we “give you in ourselves an example to imitate.” [2 Thess. 3 v.9]  What do we imitate? What or who do we take as our examples in life?  An equally important question – why do we see them as examples that we should feel inclined to imitate? 

   Bad examples abound today; there are other things are not specifically wrong but in these cases we need to think about what is good in them, what is spiritually nutritious if we watch, read or do some particular thing.   Paul writes, “you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it … that we might not be a burden to you.” [v.7,8]  Are we pulling our weight, doing our share? 

We live in a world (in the west in particular) where getting something for nothing is the aim of quite a percentage of the population.  Some see a career in ‘Christianity’ as a means of making a living with very little hard work attached to it.  This is sometimes evident in India, especially if some overseas organisation is pouring in money.

   In this country the degree of ‘social welfare’ encourages some to try to live ‘idle’ lives, but the true believer must have an attitude that is the very opposite.  Soon we will be reading the letter to the Hebrews where it is stated, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God.  Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” [13 v.7] 

They did not have the blessing a Bible to read every day and we cannot help but think that, if they had, they would be reading it every day.  But today with so many Bibles available, what part does God’s word take as we live each day?    One of the smallest “books” in the Bible is the 3^rd letter of John. Let’s take our final point from what he wrote at the end of his long life. “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good.  Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” [v.11]  How clearly do you see God?