In Jesus’ Love. He closed his email message with those words. And as I read them, I realized how poignant they were. For this young man—who I had seen come to a saving faith in Jesus, who I’d baptized, whose faith was maturing—was back home for a stay in his birth country, a place not known for kindness toward believers in Jesus. He mentioned receiving “strange looks” from nationals as he prayed before his meal in a restaurant, the coolness his friend showed toward his faith, and that he was lonely. So I strived to encourage him by writing, “I’m so proud of you. God is using you to spread His presence in your city!”
Due to persecution, Paul couldn’t go personally to encourage the fledgling church at Thessalonica. So he sent Timothy on a stealth mission (1 Thessalonians 3:2). Paul wrote to the church that he sent Timothy “to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles [you’re] going through” (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3).
To the apostle’s delight, Timothy returned with encouraging news after his mission of joy and hope. With a grateful heart, Paul penned, “We have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles” (1 Thessalonians 3:7). He was pleased that the Thessalonian believers had “remained strong in [their] faith” even while facing persecution.
At the close of this portion of his letter, Paul dished out some encouraging words: Keep loving one another just as our love overflows for you; may Jesus make your faith strong and your lives holy; and know that He will one day return for you! (1 Thessalonians 3:11-13).
Do you know a believer in Jesus who needs your encouragement today? Give that person a call or send them an email or text and let them know that you stand with them in Jesus’ love.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: 2 Kings 11:1-21
More:
Read and meditate on Romans 15:13 and then think of a believer in Jesus you could share these words with as a means of encouragement!
Next:
Why is it such an important thing to share encouragement with other believers? What Scripture verses have been most encouraging to you? Who will you share them with?
Gary Shultz on April 26, 2016 at 6:16 am
Tom, on a personal level it is good to hear from you, even though it is not a “live” print. Ok, I know we shy away from this sort of thing; however, in this group you would certainly be one who has encouraged and come along side with your comments….. As I have gained age I also find it more difficult to retain verses. The other dilemma is many of the verses I learned were in K.J. and some sound far from the K.J. so I get confused. Multiple translations are nice for research, but a killer for memory work. As I started today’s devotions I had thought of two people that would benefit from an email. Thanks for the encouragement Tom. WBP
Tom Felten on April 26, 2016 at 10:51 am
Thanks, Gary. It’s a joy to connect with you and our other Our Daily Journey friends that make up this community. So glad the Spirit brought two people to mind—may they be blessed and encouraged as you reach out to them today!
gagirllive on April 26, 2016 at 6:47 am
Hi, Tom. Encourage. The word itself means so much to me—pouring courage into another. We all need it, that’s for sure. I really like this particular passage of scripture. Paul’s love for the Thessalonians is so paternal, so protective. That’s the kind of love for one another that the world needs to see in us. Well, one of my favorite passages to share with friends who need encouragement (as well as my own heart) is 2 Corinthians 4: 17, 18—“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” What a beautiful reminder to all of us of the transient nature of our troubles. In eternity we will look back in time and consider our trials, no matter how severe here, mere trifles in comparison to the glories of heaven and being with our Lord. This fills us with so much hope. May all who visit here today find encouragement from this site for their journey. Thanks for getting the ball rolling for us, Tom. May the Lord bless you!
Tom Felten on April 26, 2016 at 10:54 am
Thanks for encouraging my heart with these words, gagirllive. A very close family member is facing a serious health crisis, so I’ve been striving to stay in the moment while also keep that eternal perspective. Yes, we can rest in God’s provision today!
samgaskill on April 26, 2016 at 11:50 am
Blessed again : ) How encouraging to see what others bring to us as gagirls comments reminded you Tom to keep that eternal perspective while living in our present moments. A word of encouragement indeed. Truly, our troubles are transient. Praise You Lord. May the peace of God freshly wash over you Tom and your family member as you journey together during this moment with God’s mercy and grace in great abundance.
gagirllive on April 26, 2016 at 11:59 am
Tom, heartfelt prayers for you and your loved one. You know, music has such a huge place of encouragement in my life, and today I wanted to pass on to you as well as others here a song that is currently on “repeat” on my playlist. It’s called “Shoulders” by for King and Country. Hope it blesses your heart, and if at all possible, I pray that your family member can listen to it and take comfort. Be encouraged, brother.
godlove on April 26, 2016 at 4:58 pm
My heart goes out to you Tom. All theory about the eternal perspective flies out of the window when we are faced with the practical reality of difficulties in life. But as you rightly said, we can always rest assured in His provision today and always. I will answer your “Next” question and at the same time encourage you with one of my favourite Scripture verses, Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” Blessings and strength to you and your loved ones.
godlove on April 26, 2016 at 1:39 pm
That is one of my favourite verses as well, gagirl. I am not very good at memorising and quoting Bible verses but that verse is one of those I have bookmarked for reference in times of need.
samgaskill on April 26, 2016 at 9:17 am
Appreciate the example set here meant to stir us up in encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ. I have been blessed countless times in the past month or so as I have read both here and in the ODB forum believers expressing both their need for hope and to know God loves and sees them….and also bringing this hope to others through sharing scripture and their personal stories of faith. I cannot express the joy I have felt in seeing the body of Christ edify one another; build each other up and respond so often with personal prayer. This is such a great example of sending the email Tom mentioned to “stand with one another in Jesus’s love.” Fits in nicely as Tom reminds us that Paul sent Timothy to the church in Thessalonica to strengthen and encourage his brothers in faith lest they be shaken by the troubles they were experiencing. Perhaps this verse fits in as well as we edify and encourage one another today. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person. Thanks so much for the teaching and guidance to focus on loving the Lord; and our neighbor as ourself. Blessings to all and may we each have opportunity to bless with kindness and understanding today.
Tom Felten on April 26, 2016 at 10:56 am
Love your heart for God and others, samgaskill. Yes, we have so much to share with others—precious things that God has revealed to us out of love!
godlove on April 26, 2016 at 1:32 pm
It is wonderful and heart-warming to read about the true and sincere love Paul and the apostles and the early church shared together. Today’s passage is like a love letter written to the church at Thessalonica, a true reflection of Christ’s Love for His Church, talking about “overflowing love” in verse 12: “And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows”. I feel like the level of mutual love and concern for one another in the community of believers is quite low today; it would be great if we could have even a fraction of what I can sense from those words in our church today. One great thing about Christianity is that it is meant to be enjoyed as a community, not alone. I believe that Salvation may be individual but Faith is collective. We grow in our faith as we learn from and encourage one another. I have said this before, and I would say it again, I really enjoy and feel blessed to have this opportunity here everyday, to share thoughts with fellow believers from different settings around the world. To the ODJ/ODB team and all members of this community (commenters regular or occasional, lurkers and all): May the grace, mercy, love and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord be with us all.
gagirllive on April 26, 2016 at 2:33 pm
You have spoken words from my heart about this, godlove. I, too, feel that there is a lack of that kind of love today in the Body of Christ as expressed in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. I long for that so very much. I was studying the picture at the top of today’s article, and the love and care expressed there is just palpable. I always preach to myself, “Gagirl, 🙂 be the change that you want to see and experience.”…so to that end, I go forward in trying to demonstrate that kind of love. Also, I recall scripture saying that in the latter days the love of many will wax cold. God forbid that I should be one guilty of that. I also found it interesting coming from you, godlove, that you should feel this way because I had the most wonderful experience of this kind of love just a few years ago when I spent some time in your Sub Saharan neck of the woods…Kenya! I have NEVER—before or since—been with believers who loved so well, so Christ-like. From the moment I entered their presence, they made me feel like I was “home”. It was the closest thing to what I imagine heaven to be like. So, sadly, my heart aches that you are not enjoying that experience, dear brother.
samgaskill on April 26, 2016 at 3:04 pm
How wonderful is this kind of love gagirl experienced in Kenya. Godlove, we have much to learn from our brothers and sisters in your world as you share with us here. We are blessed.
godlove on April 26, 2016 at 4:02 pm
Really, gagirl, so the illustrative image caught your attention too? I, too, was enthralled by the “palpable love” emanating from that picture! I almost mentioned it but did not want to make my comment too long. Well, my dear sister, I hope I am not betraying anything here but we do that very well with guests, it is much less so when we are amongst us, sadly. Also, I feel it might still be the case in rural communities but the warmth is quickly dying in urban areas (like where I live). It’s really, really, sad! But I thank God to have found a warm community of believers online, although it is just virtual and I believe that the warmth of real life, face to face, relationships can never be equalled by the virtual thing (like Paul who did not stop at writing letters but went further to send Timothy to the Thessalonians for real life contact since he was unable to go there himself).
gagirllive on April 26, 2016 at 4:23 pm
Yes, it was in a rural area where I experienced this wonderful love. Their love for Christ and the resulting outpouring of love they had for us made me want to stay there forever with them. If it had been God’s will, I would have gladly given up everything to remain with them. They are the most beautiful reflection of Christ that I’ve ever known. I will never forget them, and I look forward to our Heavenly reunion. I’m glad you are finding this forum to be a loving community for you. We are all incredibly blessed by this time of sharing with one another, aren’t we?
samgaskill on April 26, 2016 at 6:21 pm
Yes, gagirl. Incredibly blessed! Thankful for the freedoms we have to share our joy and love and thankfulness over God’s choosing to be with us! How I long for the experience you had in Kenya! For now just a virtual presence, but something of great value to look forward to when in Heaven we will be fully present with one another. Love to you all!!
samgaskill on April 26, 2016 at 2:58 pm
godlove, your comments are wonderful here. I have thought long and deep on the love expressed in the book of Acts. After witnessing the death and resurrection of their beloved Jesus, the early church experienced faith greater than any they could have imagined before. Many were clearly overcome by the Holy Spirit. It had to be this outpouring of genuine love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control given through the Holy Spirit that a purer fellowship was enjoyed by so many. Their faith was great, their fear of man held in check as they boldly went forth accompanied by The Helper. They were a people who gladly gave all and praised God continually. I think we yearn for this everyday. The fruit of God’s Spirit longs for a vessel in which to pour out God’s goodness. I suspect when we are that vessel it is only natural that the attributes of the Holy Spirit pour forth from us. The roadblocks the enemy sends do come to block what is a natural response to our faith; love, open hands and goodwill towards others. My prayer is with you in that our Father’s mercy, love and peace will flow unobstructed to us and from us so we may mature and grow in the mutual love and concern for each other God desires for us and in us. The world desperately needs the love God offers that never fails. John 13:35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Thank you for helping me ponder this more. Love the breaks in my day on the forum that keep me focused on Him and not the world! Blessed by your insight, and your heart which seeks Him!
gagirllive on April 26, 2016 at 3:23 pm
I think I am going to rename you “beautifulheart”, samgaskill. 🙂 My heart is so warmed by your comments, and what you have just said here expresses so wonderfully the heart and desire of Christ for His church. May we all make it our aim to be that vessel through which He can pour out His love! ( Okay, I feel like I’m a blog hog lately so I’m shutting down for today. 🙂 )
godlove on April 26, 2016 at 4:29 pm
“Love the breaks in my day on the forum that keep me focused on Him and not the world!” – Same thing here, samgaskill. Love and warmth always overflow from your comments. I second gagirl, you are truly “beautifulheart” 🙂