Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
When a doctor gives us a prescription, most of us go immediately to the pharmacy, get it filled, listen intently to the instructions and take the medicine. How much more should we take the advice of scripture and the Apostle Paul! The Thessalonian church was a loving fellowship, known to everyone in the region for their faith. They wanted to know about the coming of the Lord, and how to live in anticipation. The admonition the Apostle Paul gives them is to keep on loving one another and to avoid sexual immorality. His final instructions in this letter are for them to rejoice, pray, give thanks and thus fulfill the will of God. He says as well, do not quench the Spirit, do not treat prophecy with contempt, and to hold on to good while rejecting evil. What a great prescription for living.
As I anticipate the coming of the Lord, how am I living? Is loving others something others notice in me? How am I doing avoiding sexual immorality?
Lord Jesus, as I await Your return or my coming to You, I commit today to rejoice, pray, and give thanks. I want to fulfill Your will for my life. Lead me by Your Spirit, inspire me with the fulfilling of prophecy, as I hold onto all that is good and reject evil. I am already experiencing a Happy Thanksgiving!
