Day 5

Scripture to Read: 2 Thessalonians 1:5

We do not like to think about persecution as something we would like to go through, but amid God’s plan, He uses persecution to count us worthy of His kingdom. As we unpack 2 Thessalonians 1:5, we read that the persecution the believers in Thessalonica were suffering was “positive proof of the righteous judgment of God [a sign of His fair verdict]” Amplified Version. What God wants us to understand is that He has the last word. Though we may suffer in this life, our current suffering is nothing compared to the judgment our persecutors will receive from God one day. God makes it clear that His judgment is coming to those who persecute Christians. God shares this truth with us again in Philippians 1:27-29, “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” We’ve been called to live so that we honor Christ and His Gospel no matter what we are facing; and that we not be intimidated by our opponents, for God will bring His destruction upon their lives.

Challenge & Application

1. What did God teach you today about how to handle persecution and also what His plan is for our persecutors? 2. How will you choose to live in a manner worthy of Christ and His Gospel, no matter what you face in this life?

Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!

Devotionals from this week

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Day 1

We know this is the second letter to the believers in Thessalonica that God led Paul, Silas, and Timothy to write and send. Even though Paul is credited with being the writer of both 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, obviously, God also used Silas and Timothy to give input into these two letters. God also used all three of these men to dee...

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Day 2

Giving thanks daily to our Lord ought to be a regular part of our prayer life. Giving thanks to others should also be a regular part of our life. As we read 2 Thessalonians 1:3, we find that God led Paul, Silas, and Timothy to express their thanks to God because the faith of the believers in Thessalonica was incredibly growing. These three me...

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Day 3

Our words have an incredible influence on others. We can build others up with our words, or we can tear others down with our words. Today in 2 Thessalonians 1:4, we read the powerful words that God led Paul to write to the believers in Thessalonica. God uses Paul, Silas, and Timothy to let the believers in Thessalonica know that when any of t...

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Day 4

We are continuing in verse 4 today as we consider enduring in our walk with Christ. There are times in each of our lives when we perceive that certain Christians seem to have it all together in their walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. What we often miss or have no clue of in these Christian’s lives are the battles they have walked through to be...

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Day 5

We do not like to think about persecution as something we would like to go through, but amid God’s plan, He uses persecution to count us worthy of His kingdom. As we unpack 2 Thessalonians 1:5, we read that the persecution the believers in Thessalonica were suffering was “positive proof of the righteous judgment of God [a sign of His fair ver...

Read

Day 6

When we consider that persecution and suffering are a part of the Christian life, this is difficult for us to comprehend at times. But our Lord Jesus Christ promised persecution and suffering in this world in John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I...

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Day 7

As we close this week we are still focused on the tests, trials, and tribulations we face as Christians. We do not like to talk about suffering, trials, and persecution in this life, but God Almighty speaks of it quite often in His Word. As we have already seen this week, we are not to be surprised (1 Peter 4:12-16) when we face persecution a...

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