Devotions Archive Archive: 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Search Archive Print This Article The rest of Sunday Sunday, December 15, 2002 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 16) Be joyful always; 17) pray continually; 18) give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 19) Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20) do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21) Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22) Avoid every kind of evil. 23) May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24) The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. There is great wisdom in Nike's famous three words, "Just do it!" This list of "do's" from Paul to his Greek friends is one of my favorites. But today is a Sabbath, and today the last verses, the ones I don't remember so well, reach out and touch me. After eight imperatives Paul reminds himself and the Thessalonians that nothing is possible without God. "May you be...", that's not Paul's action mode. Unless God does his work nothing happens. No matter how hard I try just doing it, nothing comes together. I'm a son of the pioneers, son of hard-working immigrants, son of a dairy-farmer ... it's not easy to let God be at the center of things, much less wait, stop, listen, let him carry the weight. I get much of my sense of satisfaction in life from doing Stuff. So I'm glad for today's quiet afternoon, a resting time, to remember the context of everything that I Do. I'm the kid, and God's my dad. His plan is what counts. God makes me holy, God makes me blameless, God calls me and is faithful. God just does it. Father, it's your confidence, your strength, your intelligence, your compassion that course through me as I become still and wait on you. Thank you. "; Add      Edit    Delete