SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 5/3/2014 11:21 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Paul’s Grateful heart for his People
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 1
Thessalonians 3:9
Message of the
verses: “9 For what thanks can we
render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before
our God on your account,” “9 How can we thank our God enough for you, and
for all the joy you have brought in the presence of our God,” (Phillips)
We are entering into a portion of this letter that has to
do with prayer. We have just looked at a
section that had to do with the Word of God and the Word of God and prayer go
together. Warren Wiersbe writes: “The Word of God and prayer should go
together. The prophet Samuel told the
people of Israel, ‘God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to
pray for you: but I will teach you the
good and the right way’ (1 Samuel. 12:23).
Peter said, ‘But we [the apostles] will give ourselves continually to
prayer, and to the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:4). Paul had the same emphasis: ‘And now,
brethren, I commend you to God [prayer], and to the Word of His grace, which is
able to build you up (Acts 20:32).”
I have a question that seem to go along with verse nine
and the question is have you ever had a great need, a need that you knew the
only way that could be delivered to you would be that the Lord would answer
that need in prayer? Now after the great
relief of this answer how did you feel about God? It seems to me that Paul was praying very
much and very hard for the church at Thessalonica that they would not fall to
the temptations that they were facing and God answered that prayer and now he
has to try to show his gratitude to God and to these people because they did
not fall into the temptation that they could have. Now we are talking about a devoted Pastor’s
gratitude for His people in this section and Paul was very happy that they did
not fall to temptation and this gives him a grateful heart and gratitude to
both the Lord and to his flock. John
MacArthur writes “The devoted pastor recognizes that all thanks for spiritual
progress goes to God. That the apostle
Paul acknowledged that his gratitude for the Thessalonians must primarily go to
God, but found no adequate words to express the fullness of his heart, is clear
because he rhetorically, For what thanks can we render to God for you?
“Paul was so profoundly in debt to God in return for all
the joy Timothy’s report had brought him, and he realized he had no means to
express adequate thanks. Render…in return
translates one word (antapodounai),
and expresses the impossibility of repaying the Lord for all the divine work
that caused him to rejoice before…God.
The out-workings of God’s grace in their lives had made Paul grateful
beyond expression.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: I am ashamed to
admit that there have been times in my life that I have neglected to be
thankful to the Lord for an answer to my prayers. We will read later on in this book these
words “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18) Believers are to
give thanks to the Lord in everything that happens to them, and so when God
graciously answer my prayers I should be ready to praise the Lord and give
thanks to Him as Paul does here.
My Steps of Faith for Today: “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s
will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Memory verse for the
week: Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with
Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and
gave Himself up for me.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “An Angel” (Luke 2:10-11).
Today’s Bible
question: “What was the name of the
desert place where Philip was sent where he would meet the Ethiopian monk?
Answer in our next SD.
5/3/2014 11:59 AM
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