“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Paul planted the church of Thessalonica in a very short span of time. After establishing the church, he had very little time to stick around for teaching and training. As he writes this letter, he’s writing in the hopes that the people of this church have not fallen away. This newly established church was undergoing some serious opposition and Paul was worried that their new faith wouldn’t withstand the oppression. He was writing to encourage these new believers, to assure them they were not alone.
Are there moments when you feel like you’re under attack? Like the storms of this world are too much for you, like the circumstances of this life are surrounding you, leaving you with no hope and no escape?
Do you ever feel like it’s not worth it? That standing against this world’s circumstances, the darkness of the times, is senseless?
You are not alone. The church of Thessalonica was undergoing the same sort of conflict. In fact, everyone was. It’s impossible, when you’re coming up against so much pain and anguish, not to feel like no one understands. But stand assured, this suffering is a suffering shared by all of the Christians past. No one is alone in their trials and tribulations. No one is unseen by our most merciful God. Be encouraged, dear one. As Paul writes, “We will be with the Lord forever.”
Those are our words of encouragement. For, as bad as this world may seem, as dark as life can become, there is hope, and hope eternal. This life, these circumstances, will be over in the blink of an eye. And we will be left with an eternity surrounded by our brothers and sisters, reunited with Christ. Hold on tight a little longer. And know that He sees you. This will not last forever.
by Sydney Shrimpton
Prayer
Father, see us. Surround us with your peace. Hear us. Let us seek you in and through our trials. Give us reminders throughout our days that you see us, that you are watching us, and that you know precisely what is happening in our lives.
We love you, and we thank you for your continual encouragement and your everlasting promise. Amen.