SCRIPTURE: 1 Thess. 2:13 NIV And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
THOUGHT: We heard a good sermon Sunday, one that contextualized what is happening around us with Scripture. I could sense those words at work in me as I listened – preparing me for the week, exhorting me to faith.
When Paul wrote this letter to the Thessalonians, the word of God wasn’t a book like the Old Testament, although this letter would eventually become part of the New Testament. He preaches the teachings of Jesus and the testimonies of eye-witnesses such as the apostles as the word of God, not humans. Receiving these words was key to the hearers’ spiritual growth, and the same is true for us.
You’ll have a ton of choices today about what words to receive, but if you need to sense God at work in you, listen to some good preaching, listen to the Scripture being read out loud, listen to the testimony of others who believe – and receive the power of the Word accepted. It is God who is at work in you who believe (Phil 2:13).
PRAYER: Oh God, you sent Jesus as a witness to who you are, and Jesus gathered around him those who would witness to who he was and is. Thank you for the power of testimony, ancient and modern. Your words are still effective, working wonders in us as we accept their truth into our hearts and minds. Keep speaking!
Amy released a full-length book in early 2021, Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. Maybe you’d like to check it out here.
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