May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love, and into the perseverance of Christ. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 WEB
Jesus encountered and overcame great difficulty in his life and ministry. The Lord endured temptation and trials adhering to the will of God throughout his many difficulties. At all times, Christ demonstrated God’s love and righteousness in spite of the evil that opposed him. With these words from 2 Thessalonians, Paul encourages the church members to continue in the faith as God removes the obstacles meant to separate them from his love and their demonstration of devotion.
The word Paul uses here translated into English as “direct” is “kateuthynai.” It is Greek and means to direct our feet or to remove obstacles in our path. The use of this verb is uncommon in Paul’s letters. It is only used three times in the New Testament but occurs in higher frequency in the Septuagint which is a Greek text of Old Testament writings. In these writings, its use means to make straight a person’s ways or to direct a person’s heart to God.
Continue in Spite of Difficulty
Through devotion to Christ, Paul prays that the Lord direct the Thessalonians in receiving and demonstrating God’s love. Beyond that, Paul encourages the church into the perseverance of Christ. Perseverance is to continue in spite of difficulty or delay. We have a common enemy who is in opposition to the Lord. Satan and his followers place obstacles in our path. The evil one uses temptations and barriers to discourage our service to the Lord.
Paul directs his readers to be steadfast in their devotion to the Lord. Through trials and persecution, Paul encourages the faithful to patient endurance. Jesus is our prime example of this. As God straightens our path and removes the obstacles in our way, we move forward with God’s love into the perseverance of Christ.
Perseverance is the quality that keeps us moving forward in faith despite difficulty, discouragement, and doubt. As we read in Hebrews 10:36, “For you need endurance so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. WEB” Focusing on God’s love rather than the love of the world, removes the sinful barriers that might otherwise impede our spiritual progress along the way.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for loving me. Thank you for never giving up on me. Guide my steps and my heart in your love. Lead me into the perseverance of Christ. In Jesus’ name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: Healed by His Wounds
