Daily Devotion with Greg Laurie “The
Antidote to Wandering” Friday, 29 November 2013
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All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned, every one, to his own way . . .(Isaiah 53:6)
King David stands as the prime example of
someone who lost their first love. We remember him rightfully as the man after
God's own heart—but we also remember David as a murderer and an adulterer.
We may ask the question, how could one
who was known for his devotion to God fall so horribly? What were the steps
that led to his demise?
David's steps to losing his first love
were subtle—but very real. When David sat on his rooftop watching Bathsheba
bathe on that fateful night, he was not walking with the Lord as he once had.
We read earlier in the psalms how David
possessed this great devotion and passion for God. But at this particular point
in his life, we don't read of him worshipping or singing love songs to God.
David was spiritually idle.
The Bible says that "at the time
when kings go out to battle" (2 Samuel 11:1), King David was sitting on
his housetop. He was resting on his laurels.
When you stop progressing spiritually,
you will soon be a train wreck waiting to happen. We must recognize that deep
in our nature we all have a natural tendency to wander.
It is no coincidence that God compares us
to wandering sheep. That is our natural tendency. And as an old hymn says,
"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love." We
are prone to wander.
So the first love Jesus speaks of in
Revelation 2:5 is the very thing that will counteract our wandering. Our first
love exists as the antidote to the wandering spirit we have. That passion is
what keeps us engaged in our relationship with God.
If you make Jesus your first love,
everything else will fall into its proper balance.
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1 Thessalonians A Life Pleasing to God
4: Finally, brothers and sisters,[a] we
ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought
to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more
and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from
fornication; 4 that each one of you know how to control your own body[b] in
holiness and honor, 5 not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not
know God; 6 that no one wrong or exploit a brother or sister[c] in this matter,
because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already
told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God did not call us to
impurity but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human
authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.
9 Now concerning love of the brothers and
sisters,[d] you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves
have been taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do love all the
brothers and sisters[e] throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved,[f] to
do so more and more, 11 to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs,
and to work with your hands, as we directed you, 12 so that you may behave
properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one.
The Coming of the Lord
13 But we do not want you to be
uninformed, brothers and sisters,[g] about those who have died,[h] so that you
may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those
who have died.[i] 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that
we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means
precede those who have died.[j] 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command,
with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend
from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive,
who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the
Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage
one another with these words.
5: Now concerning the times and the
seasons, brothers and sisters,[k] you do not need to have anything written to
you. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come
like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “There is peace and security,” then
sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant
woman, and there will be no escape! 4 But you, beloved,[l] are not in darkness,
for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5 for you are all children of light
and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6 So then let
us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7 for
those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 8
But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of
faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has destined
us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10
who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are
doing.
Final Exhortations, Greetings, and
Benediction
12 But we appeal to you, brothers and
sisters,[m] to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the
Lord and admonish you; 13 esteem them very highly in love because of their
work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, beloved,[n] to admonish
the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of
them. 15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good
to one another and to all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give
thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for
you. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise the words of prophets,[o]
21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22 abstain from every form
of evil.
23 May the God of peace himself sanctify
you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound[p] and
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 The one who calls you is
faithful, and he will do this.
25 Beloved,[q] pray for us.
26 Greet all the brothers and sisters[r] with
a holy kiss. 27 I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to
all of them.[s]
28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be
with you.[t]
Footnotes:
1 Thessalonians 4:1 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 4:4 Or how to take a wife
for himself
1 Thessalonians 4:6 Gk brother
1 Thessalonians 4:9 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 4:10 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 4:10 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Gk fallen asleep
1 Thessalonians 4:14 Gk fallen asleep
1 Thessalonians 4:15 Gk fallen asleep
1 Thessalonians 5:1 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:4 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:12 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:14 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:20 Gk despise
prophecies
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Or complete
1 Thessalonians 5:25 Gk Brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:26 Gk brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:27 Gk to all the
brothers
1 Thessalonians 5:28 Other ancient
authorities add Amen(NRSV)
2 Thessalonians Salutation
1: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our[a]
Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving
3 We must always give thanks to God for
you, brothers and sisters,[b] as is right, because your faith is growing
abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4
Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your
steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that
you are enduring.
The Judgment at Christ’s Coming
5 This is evidence of the righteous
judgment of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for
which you are also suffering. 6 For it is indeed just of God to repay with
affliction those who afflict you, 7 and to give relief to the afflicted as well
as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8
in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 These will suffer the
punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes to be glorified by his saints and
to be marveled at on that day among all who have believed, because our
testimony to you was believed. 11 To this end we always pray for you, asking
that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfill by his power
every good resolve and work of faith, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may
be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
The Man of Lawlessness
2: As to the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ and our being gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and
sisters,[c] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or
by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord
is already here. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not
come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one[d] is revealed, the
one destined for destruction.[e] 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every
so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of
God, declaring himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these
things when I was still with you? 6 And you know what is now restraining him,
so that he may be revealed when his time comes. 7 For the mystery of
lawlessness is already at work, but only until the one who now restrains it is
removed. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus[f]
will destroy[g] with the breath of his mouth, annihilating him by the
manifestation of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the
working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10 and every kind
of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love
the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion,
leading them to believe what is false, 12 so that all who have not believed the
truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
Chosen for Salvation
13 But we must always give thanks to God
for you, brothers and sisters[h] beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as
the first fruits[i] for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and
through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose he called you through our
proclamation of the good news,[j] so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and sisters,[k] stand firm and hold fast to
the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and
good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and
word.
Request for Prayer
3: Finally, brothers and sisters,[l] pray
for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified
everywhere, just as it is among you, 2 and that we may be rescued from wicked
and evil people; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful; he will
strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.[m] 4 And we have confidence in
the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things
that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to
the steadfastness of Christ.
Warning against Idleness
6 Now we command you, beloved,[n] in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are[o] living in
idleness and not according to the tradition that they[p] received from us. 7
For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we
were with you, 8 and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but
with toil and labor we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of
you. 9 This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you
an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this
command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11 For we hear that some of
you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12 Now such
persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly
and to earn their own living. 13 Brothers and sisters,[q] do not be weary in
doing what is right.
14 Take note of those who do not obey
what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be
ashamed. 15 Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers.[r]
Final Greetings and Benediction
16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give
you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.
17 I, Paul, write this greeting with my
own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. 18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.[s]
Footnotes:
2 Thessalonians 1:2 Other ancient
authorities read the
2 Thessalonians 1:3 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 2:1 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Gk the man of
lawlessness; other ancient authorities read the man of sin
2 Thessalonians 2:3 Gk the son of
destruction
2 Thessalonians 2:8 Other ancient
authorities lack Jesus
2 Thessalonians 2:8 Other ancient
authorities read consume
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 2:13 Other ancient
authorities read from the beginning
2 Thessalonians 2:14 Or through our
gospel
2 Thessalonians 2:15 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 3:1 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 3:3 Or from evil
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Gk brothers
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Gk from every brother
who is
2 Thessalonians 3:6 Other ancient
authorities read you
2 Thessalonians 3:13 Gk Brothers
2 Thessalonians 3:15 Gk a brother
2 Thessalonians 3:18 Other ancient
authorities add Amen(NRSV)
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