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This verse in some Bibles is titled, ‘the comfort of the believer in the day of the Lord’. The day of the Lord’s return is one step closer each time the sun rises, which should cause us to consider what manner of preparation we are undertaking.

Apostle Peter asked the same question. 2 Peter 3:11, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.”

 The thread in both Peter’s message and Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is the ‘Word of God’. Peter encourages us to use this word in our lives so that we have ‘holy conversations’ in our preparation. Paul underlines the need to hear the gospel truth (v14) as a calling first and then respond by believing in it. 2 Thessalonians 2:14 “Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Belief of the truth (Word of God) and sanctification of the spirit, according to Apostle Paul, allows salvation for our soul. With the comfort of this knowledge and the confidence of faith in its surety, we can then journey calmly to the Lord’s return without fear.

2 Thessalonians 3:5, “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

Proverbs 13:4 “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.”

Proverbs 15:19 “The way of a slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: But the way of the righteous is made plain.”

Sluggards, is also described in scriptures as the slothful, aim to do as little as possible and to live off the labour of others. Like the animal that gives rise to the name, the person of sloth is slow moving, not concerned about completing tasks quickly or well. Lazy people want a life of ease with no commitment or responsibility. Sloth results in all kinds of problems. These may include loss of job, fractured relationship, stress, poverty and acute focus on self instead of pleasing God.

But the signs of sloth are not always obvious. A spirit of laziness can creep into our lives when we find excuses for not reading and studying scriptures or when we can’t seem to find time to participate in the work of the local Church or when we are just too tired to pray. Spiritual laziness leads to compromise and spiritual ignorance, which will keep us from maturing in the ways of the Lord.

Sloth is a tool of the enemy. He knows that if we allow laziness to rule, we will never fully realize the hope and promise that are ours in Jesus Christ. The good news is that laziness doesn’t have to become a fatal distraction; we can make a choice to turn away from that sin to view every tack as an opportunity to faithfully serve the Lord.

Spend some time in prayer asking God to show us any areas of laziness in our life. Remember, we are accountable for the talent and spiritual gifts God has given us. We are meant to be “a vessel for honour, sanctified, useful to the Maker, prepared for every good work”.

Knowing that, slothfulness is often characterized by laziness, an unwillingness to work, a lack of self-discipline. Slothfulness is the sin of doing nothing or as little as possible.

2 Thessalonians 3:6

“Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

We see a great promise to those that seek the Lord. In our natural life we see so many seekers, and especially on the roads in our part of the land at this present time of the year, we see many caravans, some old, some new with southern state number plates, all heading north for the winter. We jokingly say they are chasing the sun and if we talk to the occupants they readily agree, for they see this as a better way of life.

As Christians we journey through life, and we too, should also be chasing the sun. The sun we should chase is spoken of in Malachi 4:2 “But unto to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” We see then by this sun we should pursue or seek righteousness and peace. This righteousness and peace can only be found in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text tells us that if we seek this sun, we shall not want any good thing, and so it is. Our Lord confirmed this to us when He taught about prayer in Matthew 6:8 “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him.”  The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 3:8-12 told us how, by our lives as we journey along, we can show that we are seeking the right things. “Finally be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For He that will love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.”

If we seek the Lord and His righteousness, we will find that like the travellers, both old and young, chasing the sun, that it will be a better life, a life we can love, a life where we will see only good days, and be not wanting for any good thing.

The ultimate source of our trust, our peace and refuge is in God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Without this we are as nothing, but as flotsam and jetsam upon the tide of times. Jesus Christ has given focus and purpose to our lives.

How wonderfully the Apostle Paul expresses these sentiments in his epistle to the Philippians which serve as our text for today. First of all let us rejoice, “and again I say Rejoice.” Above all let us be happy that we are privileged to be numbered to the children of God and have an intimate relationship with the most High. We certainly have something to rejoice about, as David also joyously exclaimed “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4.

We are exhorted to behave as is becoming of children of God by living moderate in our conduct. That means being fair, level-headed, keeping our temper, being tolerant and temperate in our habits. In verse 6, we are told ‘be careful for nothing’ that means do not worry about anything unduly, instead seek help by prayer and supplication with a thankful heart to God.

It would be vain to try to improve upon the words of the Apostle Paul in verse 7. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”  This peace, which the Apostle Paul promises is laid before us like a bridge over the troubled waters of life by Jesus our Saviour, He is the One who laid Himself down at Calvary, so that we might pass over Him.

In verse 8 the subject of our integrity, our moral fibre is raised. There is no substitute for being truthful, honest, just and pure. Seek out that which is lovely and beautiful, which is of good reputation in life. Meditate and refine our virtues, praise and exalt these things.

In verse 9, the Apostle Paul takes our conduct upon his shoulders as his personal responsibility. It means he had to practice what he preached. To set himself as an example for us all. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.” In the same fearless manner as the Apostle Paul sets himself an example for us which, indeed he was, we too must strive to act as living examples for our contemporaries. This requires a fearless and courageous heart’s attitude. It is far easier to wrap our talent in a napkin and bury it in the garden. Of course, we all have our faults, but the Kingdom of Heaven is for overcomers, not for those filled with excuses. Let us excuse ourselves not, rather go forward in this wonderful work which our Saviour has entrusted to us. Not asking for the impossible. The Apostolics of old were not given bags of money, nor special help from anybody. They helped themselves and each other, calling upon the Lord to help them help themselves. The Lord heard their prayers and blessed them beyond their wildest dreams. He will do the same for us too.

One of our human attributes, which affects many aspects of daily lives, is that our ‘spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak’. (Matthew 26:41)

How often do we think of a good idea which requires doing and we never get past the thought phase? How often do we decide to change our behaviour but never get around to implementing the change? How often do we have a desire to help others, but never put that desire into action?

The latter is the context of this verse from Apostle Paul to the Corinthians about helping others. A willing mind or ‘readiness to will’ is of little gain to anyone if we do not perform the doing of it. Conversely, God has promised to bless the doing of good to others. Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

In all the contexts above, thought without the action or doing is really, quite empty and vain.

Action is also advantageous (expedient) when it relates to our own soul. Whilst we are ‘saved by grace through faith’, faith itself is meant to be alive and doing. James 2:17, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

An old proverb helps to illustrate the underlying danger of inaction, whether it be due to procrastination, laziness, or pure distraction by other things;

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Author unknown.

The solution to being able to do all things is succinctly put in scripture. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

The first characteristic in God’s catalogue of Spirit-filled, temperament traits, is love. It is revealed as love both for God and for our fellowmen. The Lord Jesus said, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

Very honestly, this kind of love is supernatural! A love for God that causes a man to be more interested in the Kingdom of God than in the material kingdom in which he lives is supernatural, for man by nature is a greedy creature. Love for his fellowmen, which has always been a hallmark of the devout Christian, is not limited by temperament. True, some as a Christian may need to go to the Holy Spirit for love more frequently than does by other, but if the Spirit controls their life, they too will be a compassionate, tender-hearted, loving individuals.

There are some people with natural tendencies who have expressed love in exemplary acts. But the love described here is not just for those who stir admiration or compassion in us, but for all men. The Lord Jesus said, “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.” (Luke 6:27) This kind of love is never generated by man but can only be affected by God. In fact, one of the thrilling evidences of the supernatural in the Christian experience is to see two people who have personal conflicts, which is another expression for temperament conflicts, grow to genuinely and easily love one another. The twelve disciples represented all four of the temperament types, and yet the Lord Jesus said to them, John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” Many a church heartache could have been avoided had the filling of the Holy Spirit been sought for this first characteristic of the Spirit-filled temperament.

If ye would like to test our love for God, try this simple method given by our Lord Jesus. He said, “If you, love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).  Just ask ourself, am I obedient to His commandments as revealed in His word? If not, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to lead our will. Let us pray the Holy Ghost to help us to live our life in all scripture inspired by God.

How King David had responded in his fear. David stated, what can mere man do to me?  How much harm can people do to us? They can inflict pain, suffering, and even death. But no person can rob souls or the future beyond this life. Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul.” Matthew 10:28  Instead, we should fear God, who controls life and the next. But how much harm can we do to ourselves? The worst thing we can do is to reject God and lose our eternal future. Jesus promised John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” 

Even in our deepest sorrow and pain God cares. Jesus reminded us further of how much God understands us; he knows even the number of our hairs on our heads. Matthew 10:30 Often we waver between faith and fear. When we feel so discouraged that we are sure no one understands, remember that God knows every problem and sees every fear.

Whatever the situation, when we come upon fear and anxiety, it is a challenge how deep is our trust in God. We have to rely on God. Times of desperation call for unyielding faith in God’s promised. God keeps track of every sorrow. God is a loving Father who is right there with us. Comforts us, He knows our struggles, He wants to be there to comfort us, to help us, to provide for us, and to watch over us.

We need to remember that in our desperate time that God promises us to take care of us but God is also well aware and His heart is breaking right along with us. Here are a few practical things that we can do in our desperate time. Set aside our fears and give them to God, through: “I will come to you.” His Son Jesus Christ, who promised John 14:18, I will not leave you comfortless, and trust then God to take care of it. This is the best thing we can do if we truly trust God; go to Him first and to bring our requests. Bring our fears, bring our concerns, bring out our fears and layout before God and pray to Him to give us wisdom and to give us guidance.

Another important thing we need to do is reading the Bible. Go to God’s words. Read about other Psalms. Read to know what God’s promise for us personally is, that He loves us and He has chosen us that He will be with us. He will lead us through the Holy Ghost and provide us all our needs. He will give us the strength to get past whatever the situation we are facing.  God is worthy of our trust. Bring your fear and your past concern to God and watch how He takes care for all the details to the end.

We see Jesus Christ confirming that it is only by faith that we can be blessed. Faith is a small word with such a profound meaning, especially in our period of time in which we live. The word faith, except on two occasions, is only found in the New Testament which shows clearly it is for our time. Apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews to explain to them what this should mean to us. Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Although the word is not used in the Old Testament, we can read of so many acts of faith displayed by the believers of those times. Many are listed in Hebrews chapter 12 and give us inspiration today as we read of them.

The faith that our Lord spoke to Thomas about was the faith in Him that He was the Christ, born into the world, lived His life sinless, fulfilled the law, died for our sins, arose from the grave, ascended to become our High Priest for ever, as all power, both, in heaven and on earth is given to Him.  In short, the only way we can have access to God and His blessings both in this life and after in this period of time, is to accept Him and worship in spirit and in truth. Because we do not see Him, this requires the faith that He spoke to Thomas. “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

It is always much easier to worship something that can be seen. One of our brothers who recently visited rural China, told of an experience that shows God’s wisdom. China of course, has opened its doors to the world and is being campaigned by all the various faiths of the world. Those who can place something before the people to see, of course make it easier for them to follow. Our brother was approached by a young boy who asked him the question – “Are you a Christian”? – “Yes” replied our brother “Are you”? The boy replied he was and then went on to explain that many of his friends made fun of him for believing in something he could not see and were always asking him to show them his God. He then told our brother that he explains to them – None of us can see the air around us, but that does not mean we should stop breathing and likewise, just because we cannot see God around us at all times, that does not mean we should stop believing”. What a wonderful modern-day explanation of faith!

We know that we begin with faith and the bible teaches us that we then add to it, all our other aspirations, hope, charity, works, patience, virtue, godliness, love, steadfastness, gentleness, strength etc., and above all, we must move on from faith to absolute Trust in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul taught further to the Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”