1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (NRSV)
Read 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 1Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
Verse 2We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly Verse 3remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, Verse 5because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.
Verse 6And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, Verse 7so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. Verse 8For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. Verse 9For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, Verse 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath that is coming.
Devotion
The life of faith isn’t easy for anyone. But we can only imagine the challenges that faced the fledgling church in Thessalonica. The letter from Paul and his companions must have been a source of great encouragement and comfort to these early Christ-followers who were likely rejected and perhaps persecuted by the community.
Paul reminds the new believers of their identity: chosen and beloved by God. He tells them they are being lifted up in prayer and expresses gratitude for their faithfulness in serving the “living and true God.” And he assures them that their work is bearing fruit.
Faith is meant to be lived in community. We need to remind one another that we are loved by God. We need to pray that the Church will remain steadfast. And we need to encourage one another as we go out to share the light of Christ for the sake of the world God so loves.
Prayer
We thank you, living and true God, for the gift of the church in our communities and across the world. Help us to be faithful followers of Jesus and to serve you with joy and thanksgiving. Amen.
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