Farewell But Not For Long! – PART 3

Farewell But Not For Long! (II Thessalonians 3:16-18) – PART 3

II Thessalonians 3:16-18, “Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

III. God’s Truth (II Thessalonians 3:17)
Paul typically dictated his epistles to a scribe or assistant. After what Paul dictated was written down, he frequently ended the letter with his own handwriting (I Corinthians 16:21; Galatians 6:11; Colossians 4:18; Philemon 19). This assured his readers the letter was not from false teachers writing letters in Paul’s name (II Thessalonians 2:2). Paul knew it is impossible to grow spiritually without the truth of God’s Word. Paul described the importance of God’s truth in II Timothy 2:15.

One of the things we must do to stay alive is eat! Along with air, water, and sleep, our bodies need food. The nutrients contained in the food we eat keep us healthy and strong. When we eat food, we digest it, and the nutrients of the food become that fabric of our whole being. When you eat of the meal of God, that grace that gives you each day, all the sudden the love of God becomes the fabric of your soul. He wants you feasting and feeding day by day on His love, mercy, and grace so that you are an embodiment, a reflection, of the love of God. Consider what Jesus said in John 6, “I’m the bread of life”. In Jesus, there will always be enough for us. He will not only be with us until our dying days, but throughout the ages of eternity. His presence, His power, and His provision is in the barrel of my soul. He is enough to take you to the end of this old, dry, thirsty, starving world until you enter Heaven. If we neglect to nourish our physical bodies, our health will inevitably decline.

The human soul works the same way! We must regularly feed on God’s Word to stay alive and spiritually healthy. We must continually and purposefully nurture our souls with the Word of God. I Peter 2:2, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” Job 23:12, “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.”

It is vital to our spiritual survival that we are daily in the Word of God. Spurgeon said, “We quickly lose the nourishment and strength of yesterday’s bread. We must feed our souls daily upon the manna God has given us.” I Timothy 4:13, “Till I come, give attendance to reading.” Because reading God’s Word is a command, we must consistently stick to a plan. Our approach cannot be hit and miss.

When you eat at a familiar restaurant, you may enjoy trying something new every now and then. When you have your time with God, try to incorporate a variety in your approach as well. It could be easy to fall into a routine during your quiet time with the Lord. Yet, there are different ways to read God’s Word, and I encourage you to vary your approach from time to time to keep your devotions fresh and vibrant. Here are a few methods to consider incorporating into your devotional life.

1. Read God’s Word.
Vary your approach to reading God’s Word. Keep in mind, the Lord never instructs us in His Word on any order to read His Word, He just instructs us to do it! If you have trouble getting started or keeping committed to reading the Bible, I would exhort you to try a couple of different methods. You may want to read the books of the Bible in chronological order, or pick a particular book of the Bible to read through several times. There are many different Bible-reading schedules you can follow. Read through the Bible in a year. Read one Proverb a day, corresponding with the day of the month. Read at least fifteen minutes per day. Read until you receive a blessing or a truth.

2. Study God’s Word.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Do not be content to just read the words of Scripture. Seek to grasp the message they contain.” In addition to reading, we should study the Scriptures. II Timothy 2:15 exhorts, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Determine to intentionally read God’s Word to understand the truths contained therein.

3. Meditate on God’s Word.
George Mueller’s testimony challenges us on our meditation of Scripture: “The first evening that I shut myself into my room, to give myself to prayer and meditation over the Scriptures, I learned more in a few hours than I had done during a period of several months previously.” When was the last time you “shut yourself into a room” for the sole purpose of meditating on the words and promises of God to you?

In God’s eyes, why we do something is far more important than what we do. Why do you spend time with God? Is it out of a sense of duty or out of a heart of love for Him? How is your attitude as you enter God’s presence? Is it one of heartless service, or humble surrender?

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