Rest

2 Thessalonians 1-Part 4
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.          2 Thess. 1:7-10


LET IT GLOW

What helps you to rest? Is it a vacation away from the stress of work or circumstances? Is it a recreational activity? Is it involvement in a hobby? Is it going to see a movie? I think I can say yes to all these solutions. Anything that will take my mind off the hurtful words said to me, honery deeds done to me, disappointments, aggrivations-you name it. The problem is getting rest for my mind. I can rest my body, but my mind plays the drama over and over again. What did I do to cause this to happen to me? What do I do now to resolve this problem or change this situation? Unfortunate for those around me, I talk about it repeatedly. My conclusion is, that is how I process something. I mull it over in my mind, as the old timers used to say. It's not that the logical thing to do is hard to figure out, it's that my feelings get in the way. Someone or something hurt my feelings. Are you with me? So I have to put "me" aside and let the Lord speak to me about this thing bothering me. Then I have to let Him handle it.
Paul said that to us who are troubled, rest with them. He was a fellow sufferer for the just cause of Christ.

"In the first century, many Jewish leaders hated Christians because they rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and believed a crucified Savior was an offense. Many Romans hated Christians because they considered them "atheists," because they would not worship the national gods of Rome. The Thessalonian Christians were persecuted and had tribulation, and God used it for His glory. But the time of persecution would not last. A day of  rest is promised for every believer, " stated David Guzik.

Well now, if my troubles are due to my following the Word or my doing a  right thing, then it is to be expected that I will suffer persecution.
 2 Timothy 3:12 says, "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

John 14:1 records Jesus saying, "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."

Then I shall praise the Lord that I am counted worthy of suffering for Him. so where do I find rest or relief? It should be in the Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit. (There's that s-word.) Do I seek rest from Him and not from the things of this world? Ouch!


LET IT GROW

Although the original Greek doesn't use punctuation, I couldn't stop at verse 7, but had to continue reading to verse 10 where our Scripture has a period ending these thoughts. Here we see the judgment and vengenance on those who don't know God and those who disobey Jesus.

"Not ' knowing'  God may be an extension of the Old Testament idiom of not loving God or serving Him rather than a simple lack of knowledge," states Liberty Bible Commentary.

Anyway, the thing is, these people will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. (verse 9 NLT)

The MacArthur Bible Commentary says:

This speaks of a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Retribution is not dealt out because of persecuting Christians, but because they did not obey God's command to believe and call upon the name of the Lord to be saved from their sin. Salvation is never obtained by works but always by placing one's faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ. As Christ's great glory is displayed, the result will be rest and relief for believers and the privilege of sharing His glory. (John 17:3; Romans 10:9-13,17; Eph. 2:8-10; 1John 3:2)

Am I helping others get ready?


LET IT GO

Rest my mind knowing that God is in charge of all things.

Help others get ready for the Day of the Lord.