Before you start

What gives you heart when you feel under attack in your faith?

Paul and his traveling companions are hemmed in by persecution. They are being prevented from going where they want to and prevented from visiting the churches he has planted on previous visits. Amid these difficulties, he starts to wonder about the church in Thessalonica (the church Paul starts in yesterday’s Bible passage from Acts).

You may not have founded churches in difficult circumstances, but you’ve probably experienced similar feelings. One part of your life might be falling apart and you begin to wonder if and when other parts might start to cause trouble or stop working. This is what Paul is worried about. He is being persecuted and can’t go to check on the Thessalonian believers. He is concerned that they have faltered and all his hard work (and persecution) in Thessalonica and the surrounding area will come to nothing.

So, he sends Timothy, a young helper (we discover more about him in Acts and in the two letters Paul writes to Timothy), to find out how the church is. And he comes back with a glowing report. Paul’s response? “Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now, we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord.”

Paul takes heart in the faithfulness of the church in Thessalonica, but he recognizes his task with the Thessalonians isn’t done, he commits to praying for them in the future: “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.”

Today we can experience the same thing. In our churches, we can hear the testimony of others. Such positive stories can build us up and also give us hope that God can turn around the difficult situations in our own lives. And yet our role keeps going, as we need to carry on lifting people to God.

Here are some questions. Grab a notebook and jot down your ideas or, if you’re doing this with others, discuss your thoughts together.

• How might you describe Paul in this passage?
• What do you think might have stopped Paul from getting to Thessalonica?
• Why do you think the faith of the Thessalonians was so encouraging to Paul?
• Have you ever been encouraged by the faith of others, even if your own life isn’t easy? Why?

Pray

Pray for modern-day Christians who are in the same situation as Paul and the Thessalonians. Lift them to God and ask him to strengthen their face and give them perseverance in the face of persecution.