20 Feb March 6th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON PAUL’S SECOND LETTER TO THE  CHURCH AT THESSALONICA

WHAT YOU SOW IS WHAT YOU REAP

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 “. . . those who are perishing . . . perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

A gardener knows that they should not sow lettuce seeds to produce tomatoes.  Lettuce seeds produce lettuce plants and tomato seeds produce tomato plants.  Satan, the father of lies, tells some whoppers.  He misrepresents the truth.  He makes the things of this world appealing to your senses and the wisdom of this world as the source for the answers to everything.

Satan’s words and actions are so appealing, they make so much sense to the sinful mind, what he suggests seems to work so well.  Your old sinful nature swallows all that Satan says to you and wants you to do.  That is what today’s devotional verses are referring to when they say you “will believe the lie, not believe the truth and delight in wickedness.”

Those who listen to Satan and follow his ways will “perish because they (refuse) to love the truth and so be saved.”  God’s word provides all people with absolute truth.  The Devil lies telling them that what God says is not true.  God’s word tells people of His love and mercy for them.  The Devil tells them that God is harsh, cruel, unyielding and takes all the joy out of life.

Who to believe?  This is the tension that exists for all in this world.  The Devil’s cunning and craftiness twists God’s word and will to attempt to make it as unappealing as possible.  The Devil, God’s enemy, enticingly lures human beings to follow his evil ways, joining him in his enmity toward God.

God, through His Son Jesus, begs human beings to come to Him who alone has the words of eternal life.  God is honest in his appeal, not sugar coating what the life of a Christian, a believer in Him will be like.  He says that as a Christian you will experience sorrow and pain, disappointments, isolation, and even persecution by following Him.  But He also promises eternal life with Him when this your earthly life ends.  In the eternal life He promises you He says there will be no sorrow, pain, disappointments, isolation, and persecution.  There will only be joy and peace.

God sends His Spirit to work faith in your heart to trust what He promises.  Through that faith you have His promise of that perfect life to come.

Prayer:  Father, send Your Spirit into my heart to give me faith to trust You, Your words and Your promises through Jesus Christ, Your Son, my Lord and Savior.  Amen.

Lord, Thee I love with all my heart;

I pray Thee, ne’er from me depart,

With tender mercy cheer me.

Earth has no pleasure I would share.

Yes, heav’n itself were void and bare

If Thou, Lord, wert not near me.

And should my heart for sorrow break,

My trust in Thee can nothing shake.

Thou art the portion I have sought;

Thy precious blood my soul has brought.

Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,

Forsake me not! I trust Thy Word.

Yea, Lord, ‘twas Thy rich bounty gave

My body, soul, and all I have In this poor life of labor.

Lord, grant that I in ev’ry place

May glorify Thy lavish grace

And help and serve my neighbor.

Let no false doctrine me beguile;

Let Satan not my soul defile.

Give strength and patience unto me

To bear my cross and follow Thee.

Lord Jesus Christ, my God and Lord, my God and Lord,

In death Thy comfort still afford.

Lord, let at last Thine angels come,

To Abr’ham’s bosom bear me home,

That I may die unfearing;

And in its narrow chamber keep

My body safe in peaceful sleep

Until Thy reappearing.

And then from death awaken me,

That these mine eyes with joy may see,

O Son of God, Thy glorious face,

My Savior and my fount of grace.

Lord Jesus Christ, my prayer attend, my prayer attend,

And I will praise Thee without end.

(LSB 708)