Everlasting Consolation

    

2 Thess 2:16-17

 

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, 17 comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work.

NKJV

 

What a great word today's verse is!  It is so rich in many wonderful aspects, it is almost like holding a prism up to a light. 

 

 

First of all, it reminds us of the wonderful truth that God loves us.  Sadly, this world is filled with people who have no idea that they are loved.  Especially by the Almighty God!  In all we say about God, we must always promote the fact that He is love!  He does not have a single motivation of His heart that is not born of love.  That is so reassuring! 

 

Furthermore, he has given us everlasting consolation!  As a kid, I loved to watch the games shows- The Price is Right; The Family Feud; and Wheel of Fortune.  I would always get tickled, especially on the Price is Right, when a person would bomb out big time and be sent home empty-handed...well, except for their lovely parting gift.  A consolation prize of a year's worth of "Rice a Roni" or some other item.  I almost imagined the person saying, "Well I lost 10,000, but that's OK, Bob.  Because now we have a free side dish for a whole year!"  That is pitiful consolation.

 

The kind of consolation that we receive in Christ is neither cheap nor paltry.  His consolation is rich, deep, and all encompassing.  There is not a hurt that we feel, that He does not have the balm to sooth away our pain.  His love and comfort penetrate to the deepest recesses of our heart and provide blessed relief and consolation.  This results in good  hope.  Not half-heart open but full-on, faith building hope!  He can make us believe that everything is going to be all right, even in the times that nothing looks alright.

 

He has give us an everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, which allows us to be established in every good word and work.  That is a mouthful!  To have good  thoughts, which later, turn into good words, takes a redemptive work of Jesus.  But He is able to put His words in my mouth and  anoint them to speak life into others and into the situations that I face.  His Words have creative power in them, and when we speak His Word within the context of the Bible, they are life-giving and life-changing!

 

Additionally, he establishes me in good works.  So much of what we do for Him is born of selfish motives, guilt, necessity and a need for recognition.  To be able to serve unselfishly and effectively is a by-product of the grace of God.  I am so thankful that He provides me with all I need to carry out the assignments that He is gives  me.  And He gives me the ability to be established in them.  He can make me solid, firm, sure and immovable!  That is pretty incredible when you think about how double-minded we can be within ourselves.

 

Dear Lord, thank you for the richness of Your Word, as well as the richness and depth of your grace.  I praise you and bless You for the grace, love, comfort and consolation that you have given me.  Help me to be a vessel to share these grace gifts with others.   In Jesus' Name.  Amen.