Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.
Devotion: The apostle Paul authored many of the books that are in the New Testament. And many of these are epistles, or formal letters to churches and followers of Christ. One of those letters is 2 Thessalonians. The book is named that because it was the second letter from Paul to the church in Thessalonica (it really is that simple sometimes). But the primary reason that our verse from today comes from this specific epistle is because of the blessing that Paul writes to them at the end, “The Lord be with all of you.”
He ends some of his other letters in a similar way. 2 Timothy ends with, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all” (2 Timothy 4:22). In the book of Philemon, Paul closes with, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit” (Philemon 25). And he writes to the church in Corinth, “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
Paul finds it fitting that he ends his letters, that often contain both correction and encouragement, with the reminder that God is with the people reading the letter. He reminds them that the Lord is with them, His grace is enough for them, and that the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside of them. Much like the people that Paul was writing to, I think perhaps we need this reminder, too. At the end of the day, whether it has been a day filled with overflowing joy or a day filled with many unfortunate circumstances and negative thoughts, we need the reminder that God is with us. That the grace of Jesus is enough for us. And that the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us. So, no matter what your day will hold or has held for you thus far, I pray that you are reminded of God’s closeness and presence in your life.
Reflect:
- If Paul felt it was important that the last thing people heard him say was a reminder that the Lord was with them, how can you shift the moments throughout your day to constantly be reminded of this?
