This post is for the members of Bowling Green Christian Church who are journeying me this week through Haggai and 1 Thessalonians. I am including my thoughts here not as a proof or model but a primer – something to get you going in study. If you are looking for the introduction to this journey and need the Bible study instructions please click here.
Prayer – Lord as I come to this text I pray that I would be empty of myself. Forgive my sins, heal my thoughts and fill my with your Holy Spirit as I read you word.
Reading – 1 Thessalonians 3
Meditate/Memorize – After a time of contiued prayer and careful reading the verse that stayed with me was 1 Thessalonians 3:13,
“And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”
When I think of the heart I think of love and desire – not righteousness. Righteousness to me is a code of conduct, actions, something controlled by right decisions – my brain not my heart. Paul here prays for the Thessalonians that their hearts would be strengthened in righteousness. What he is praying for is that they would love righteousness and desire righteousness in their deepest being. Paul knows that when we desire righteousness in our deepest being right actions will follow.
Live It Out –
Lord you alone know that my desires are not always after you and that my heart desires things that offend you. I can’t transform my desires, but I ask that you would transform me, strengthen my heart by your righteousness. Today would I see sin the way that you see sin, would I see people the way that you see people and in seeing things as you do would you transform my heart to make it more like yours.
