You'll Never Walk Alone

1 Thessalonians 2-Part 5
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
1 Thess. 2:11-12


LET IT GLOW

The Thessalonian believers were Paul's children in the faith. He refers to himself as the father figure. Not only did Paul exhort, comfort, and charge these baby Christians, but he does so for us. What do these three words mean? Here's what the Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Liberty Bible Commentary have to say:

Exhorted, which is the word  parakaleo in the Greek, means to admonish, encourage. The noun form of this word is used as a name for the Holy Spirit (Comforter).

Comforted, which is the word  paramytheo in the Greek,  refers to the physical comfort and mental assurance. The Thessalonians were in sorrow, through persecutions and deaths of friends (4:13).

Charged, which is the word  martyreo in the Greek, means to witness or testify. Obviously, we get our English word martyr from it. We know that Paul was martyred for his faith in Jesus, but he witnessed to all he met, I'm sure.

Not only in public, but also in private did the missionary team and Paul exhort, comfort, and charge the believers in this church while they were there with them. They went house to house teaching and preaching the Word of God with great tenderness, as a father.

Do I encourage, comfort, and challenge others to stay faithful to the Lord Jesus and His Word?


LET IT GROW

When I read verse 12, I thought of the song I sang at my high school graduation, "You'll Never Walk Alone."
The words go like this, if I can remember after 39 years:
When you walk through a storm hold your head up high, and don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm, is a golden sky, and the sweet silver sound of a lark.
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain, though your dreams be tossed and torn.
Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone.
You'll never walk alone.
Walk on.

I suppose there is another verse, but I can't recall it. Anyway, is that good advice or what? Right now I'm going through a storm of an incruable disease-Crohn's. The wind of discouragement blows hard. It keeps raining physical problems. My faith gets thin, tossed about, suppressed.  Test results and the side effects of new medicine puts me in the dark, pitty-party way. My dreams of life have changed. But...
I AM WALKING ON WITH HOPE IN MY HEART AND NOT ALONE, BUT WITH JESUS BESIDE ME.
My faith tells me to trust in Him. This path I'm traveling on is what He has for me, so is there a better one? No. I admit that I was down this morning. Then I read a scripture from my Bible study group, Psalm 32:14-15: "But I am trusting, O Lord, saying, 'You are my God!' My future is in Your hands."

It convicted me because I wasn't trusting in my God. I was worrying about swollen lymph nodes, ulcers, potential of shots instead of pills. You name it, I was worried. Have you been there? If I am going to write to people telling them to trust in God for everything, I must trust in God for everything. Practice what I preach, so to speak. That's why I shared the song and verse. They were encouragement to me. Hopefully, they will encourage you. Watch out for storms. Our God is faithful and all powerful. As Paul said, " I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Phil 4:13)
I wonder what's around the bend.
[I'm doing better, 2 days later. My body is adjusting. Hope continues.]

LET IT GO

Be encouraged, comforted, and charged by the Words of God and Paul.

Hold my head up high, I'm a child of the King. I never walk alone.

Encourage someone else today.