October 10

What a Blessing!

Today’s Scripture Readings Psalms 113:1-9 | Jeremiah 14:11—16:15 | 1 Thessalonians 2:10-3:13 | Proverbs 25:1-5

Today’s Scripture Focus: I Thessalonians 2;10-3:13

“May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones” (1 Thessalonians 3:13 NIV).

Paul’s prayers and blessings are always instructive to us as we learn to pray. This prayer is in the form of a blessing. He blesses them by asking God to fill them with love for each other. He has already commended them for their love, but here he prays for even more of it. “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other.” There is always need to pray for God to give us increasing and overflowing love for each other. 

Then He asks God to fill them with love for those they are to reach out to. “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow . . . for everyone else.” The love God pours out into the lives of believers cannot be contained, it needs to spill out into the world as well. Love compels us to share the good news with others. Love enables us to share in a way that is attractive and “seasoned with salt and full of grace.” It is not enough to just love each other, our love must extend to those in the world as well. Christ has given us a commission to be his hands and feet to share his love with “everyone else.”

He blesses them by asking God to strengthen them so that they will lives holy lives. “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” We need his grace and strength to live holy lives as we live our lives in anticipation of his return.

May you too experience God’s love increasing and overflowing in your relationships with other Christians, and in your relationships with those whom you are sharing the good news of Christ. May he strengthen your hearts and keep you holy and blameless as we wait for his return. Amen.