Walking Through Life with God
Every season of life has both ups and downs, positive and negative situations. On top of that, there are spiritual powers in this world that are trying to get us to lose hope.
In the midst of difficult seasons, or even persecution, it can be easy to forget that God is still present with us. He does not abandon us in the midst of suffering. Rather, He strengthens us and walks with us through the pain.
The church in Thessalonica experienced a very similar situation. As they were praying for the gospel to spread across their region, they encountered suffering and opposition. Paul writes to the members of these churches to not only encourage them, but to remind them of God’s character.
He tells them first that the Lord is faithful. This means that God doesn’t change—He is consistent in His character. If He was good and merciful yesterday, He will be good and merciful again today.
It also means that He fulfills His promises. God is faithful to do what He says He is going to do. He is not like a human who changes his mind when things get difficult.
Second, Paul tells these believers that God will strengthen them and protect them in the midst of what they’re experiencing. Paul does not tell them they will never experience evil, but rather—that God will be with them in the midst of it.
Because God never changes, He is able to strengthen and protect us through every experience in life. So take some time to thank God for His strength and faithfulness. Ask Him to help you, and to give you confidence in His power.
When Walls Come Down
"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:28 NIV
These words from the Apostle Paul would have been startling to the first-century Church. At a time when divisions ran deep—ethnic, economic, and gender-based—Paul was boldly declaring something revolutionary: in Jesus, those walls come down.
The early Church was a diverse, fragile community. Jews and Gentiles came from vastly different religious and cultural worlds. Slaves and free people had different legal and social standing. Men and women operated within strict societal roles. And yet, Paul wasn’t saying those differences disappeared—he was saying they no longer determined a person's worth, status, or identity within the family of God.
Unity is not just a bonus feature of the Gospel, it's central to the message! Jesus formed a new kind of community, one where every person stands on equal footing before God because of ...