Monday 11 Feb 2013

Monday Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 4:4
4  That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

Devotion:
Job had lived a life that pleased God and nothing that he had done had brought on those things that had happened to him; it was the devil himself that had brought these calamities into his life to tempt him to the uttermost to turn away from God. But it is the single fact that Job did what was right in God’s eyes that I want to remember as we go into these verses today. What we do in our lives is going to make a very big difference to our relationship with God.

Our mouths are like loose cannons just waiting to break everything down so that we fail again, but it is those same mouths that can bring order and joy into other people’s lives as well. But if we want to be able to bring good things into other people’s lives with our mouths then we have to bring those same words into their lives through how we live. It is no good saying one thing and doing another thing because people are more likely to believe what is happening in front of their eyes than what they hear through their ears. When Job was faced with his friends, they went with what they could see had happened in the last few weeks than with how Job had lived his life – that is just human.

The apostle told the people of Thessalonica that they had to live in a manner that showed that they were Christians and not like the other people around them; and that included the whole family rather than just themselves. It is interesting to note that the Jews used the same word for a man’s wife and his own body and that is the word that is used in this context; in other words we have to live together in pure unity just as we live our lives in purity for God. There is no greater statement to your wife than to make sure that she is the only love or desire in your life beside God; oh that people would see that fact nowadays.

Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit and in order for us to make sure that we do not break down that relationship with Him, we have to live a life of purity that lifts up God and brings glory to God – that way we are supporting the Holy Spirit as He tries to support, guide and teach us. Our bodies and our families need to live for Christ and other people have got to see that so that we can teach them about the true Gospel story.

Points to Ponder:
What do others see you as?

How does God know you?