LifeLink Devotions

Friday, February 9, 2024

We all have days where we want to be left alone and just crash with no responsibilities. I am so thankful for today’s verse of Scripture because it tells us we are normal to feel unmotivated.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Paul makes it clear that there are two aspects to encouragement from God that are equally important in our lives. First, there is the encouragement that comes from knowing that we are eternally His and that the hope of eternity is always at work in our lives. On most days this is sufficient to keep us going. With our eyes fixed on the finish line and the rewards of glory in the presence of Jesus Christ, we press on. The knowledge of the love of God and His gift of grace to us motivate us to live faithfully in His service. But then with an understanding of human nature and its emotional instability, Paul asks God to encourage our hearts for the everyday routine. Looking at the eternal does not eliminate the need to deal with the immediate, and God knew we would need daily help with the immediate.

The word translated encourage in these verses literally means to call near. It is the same basic word that Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit when He told the disciples that he would send them a Comforter. When I go to bed at night and want to fully relax, I pull the comforter on our bed up close to my face and snuggle in.  I love the feeling of contentment and security it produces. But comforters are only able to do that when we draw them near to us. Looking at one from across the room never accomplishes that.

When we came to Christ for salvation, He sent the Comforter to wrap us up with the contentment and security of our eternal relationship with God. But our daily routines draw us out from under the comforter. The promise of glory in heaven is folded neatly on the bottom of the bed when we head out to tackle the necessary obligations of the day. Every once in a while we may take a look at the Comforter, and we may even long for the end of the day when we can crawl back under it and snuggle up. Sometimes we may even do that in the middle of the day. But most of the time we just look at the comforter from across the room. But looking at eternity from across the room doesn’t make life better. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could carry the comforter around with us all day, like Linus’ security blanket, so that we felt safe all the time? That’s exactly what God knew we would need, and He did it for everyone of His children. God did more than simply wrap us up with the Comforter – He made it possible for us to have the Comforter with us every moment of every day. The Comforter actually indwells us and is constantly encouraging us in our everyday routine. The eternal hope of glory became our daily help for the grind. We are encouraged by His presence to carry out every good deed and word. God provides comfort, contentment, and security for the immediate while we wait for the eternal. We have been granted constant nearness to God. 

Today is not one of those unmotivated days anymore. It is one of God’s days. With my eyes fixed on the finish line, I run the race that is set before me because the Author and Finisher of my faith is running right with me. His presence is not just the reward at the end of the race; it is the reality during the race. So take your eyes off of the eternal for a moment, and look at the immediate. You’ll see Jesus there giving you comfort, encouragement, contentment, and security. Keep running. Jesus will give you the strength.

Pastor John