As Paul the
apostle closed his second letter to the Thessalonians, he gave them
some final instructions which included “admonishing” a
person who does not obey Paul and his traveling companions' words in
this epistle “as a brother” and not “as an enemy”.
In chapter three and verse seventeen, Paul prays for the Lord to give
the Thessalonian church members “peace always” where we
read:
Now the
Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means.
The
verse begins, “Now the Lord of peace himself give you
peace always by all means.” Paul
began with the word, “Now”
which means “but, moreover, then, also, yes, nevertheless and even”
“the Lord” which
refers to “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which
he has power of deciding; master and the title which is given to God
the Messiah” “of
peace” which means
“tranquillity, harmony, concord, security, safety, prosperity and
felicity” “himself”
which is a reflexive pronoun referring to “the same person” “give
you peace” which again means
“tranquillity, harmony, concord, security, safety, prosperity and
felicity” “always”
or “after, among, at, by occasion of” “by all means”
which means “through each,
every, any, all, the whole and everyone”. Paul's desire for the
Thessalonians was for “the Lord”
to give them “peace”
at all times in each and every manner He chooses.
The
verse goes on to say, “The Lord be
with you all.” Paul
continued, “The Lord”
which refers to “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which
he has power of deciding; master and the title which is given to God
the Messiah” “be with you all”
or “be present with and among each,
every, any, all, the whole and everyone of the church members”.
There is no greater blessing that Paul the apostle could have wished
upon the Thessalonian church members than having “The
Lord” to
“be with”
everyone of them.
When
we think through Paul's words, we must find it admirable after all
the warnings and exhortations he has given to the church members to
desire that “the Lord be with them”.
Paul's compassion for the church members is easily seen in his care
for each of them, and to have the Lord Jesus by their side and among
them is the greatest gift they may obtain. Do we have this same
desire for others we know? Do we want “The Lord” to
be “with them all”?
Do we desire for His “peace”
to be “with them always”?May
the Lord Jesus teach us to know when this trait is absent, and may we
not only receive the Lord's presence and peace but desire them for
others as well.
Next
time Paul provides a “salutation”
with his “own hand”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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