Thankful for His Word!
“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.” 1 Thessalonians 2:13
Paul is grateful for and is commending the Thessalonians in this short prayer for their belief in the word. Apparently, the Thessalonians did not have to be won over, but they were ready when they heard the word from Paul. They believed it, and received it and accepted it readily. They in essence made Paul’s job easy.
This may seem like a small thing but it truly is not. Just look around today and you will see. Many people who aren’t believers just think of the Bible, the word of God, as just a book. We as believers know that it is so much more. Just like this verse from Hebrews says,
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is as alive today as it was thousand of years ago when first penned. These prayers and these letters that Paul wrote to his churches are as relevant to us today as they were back then. That is one way that we can know that the word of God is alive. The word of God is powerful, it is active, it teaches and rebukes and comforts and gives peace. We can check what we do back to it, we can check the guidance we feel that we are receiving back to it. When we feel that God is leading us in a certain direction, going back to the word is always a good place to start when trying to figure it out. God will never lead contrary to His word. If we feel God is leading us to do something or to think in a particular way and we find something in God’s word that does not support it, we can know that it is not of God. If we find scripture to support it, we can keep walking toward it. Always, always, always when you feel God speaking to you or leading you in a direction and you want to be sure, check it back to God’s word first.
These Thessalonians heard the word from Paul and the word took root in them and they believed, and the word of God was at work in them. As we read and as we study scripture the word can’t help but be at work in us too. I am not saying that my human nature and human frailties do not get the better of me sometime. In fact, they do quite a lot. But when I am in the word as I should be, the Holy Spirit does its work in me and convicts me quickly of the things that I do that go against His word.
This verse also makes me think of Jesus’ teachings in his parable of the sower.
“And he told them many things in parables, saying. ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.’” Matthew 13:3-8
I pray that God’s word will take root in my heart and my mind and will produce good grain! I pray the same for you. I am grateful for His word that is living and active in my life and I praise Him for what He does with His word in your life as well!
Restore 