Devo 2 Thes 2

II Thessalonians Chapter 2:13-17
13But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because
from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of
the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14He called you to this through our
gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then,
brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by
word of mouth or by letter. 16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our
Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good
hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Meditation:
1. Accepting Christ and the salvation is only the beginning of one’s spiritual life
and not just procuring a ticket to heaven. Paul understands the Thessalonian
church is facing persecution, false teaching, secularization and various
uncertainties. Therefore, he tells them to “stand firm” and hold fast to God’s
teaching.
2. I also encounter all kinds of forces constantly trying to pull me away from God.
How am I doing in Holding Fast and Standing Firm?
3. Some brothers and sisters are sacrificing their time and energy to make Crossroad
a better place.  Pray that God will delight in their weekly sacrifices and be near them.
Bless their studies, social interaction, and future.

Personal Note:
I am going to preach on this passage on Oct 30.  Visiting this passage during devotion enables me to be convicted on my own need of the conviction to stand firm and holding tight to God's Words.  In the midst of a lot of misleading teachings and philosophies, secularization (business, education, government, etc getting away from the Gospel), and lots of uncertainties (debt crisis, confusion on life direction, etc), it is essential for me to have the guidance from God's Word in order to stay strong.  I can only be strong when I obey God's Word faithfully.