“Rest for the Soul”
Christian reader, the same warning the apostle Paul gives to the first-century church in Thessalonica reaches thousands of years to you today. For if Christ is in you, the hope of glory, you are no longer in darkness, but the light of God’s living word has opened your eyes to see and understand His love for you. Recall to your thoughts for just a moment, the scars upon His hands, the lash marks upon His body, the crown of thorns upon His head, the bruising of His skin, the crimson blood flowing down, and the anguish of His cries. But, you see, Jesus has always loved you, and He will continue to love you, and no one will ever pluck you out of His hands. Is this not worth fighting the earthly ills of this life?
Come now and consider what I am saying. Do not retreat from the battle against the sin that seeks to entangle you in corruption, but Worship Him in truth, for the Lord seeks true worshipers who will worship the Father in spirit and truth. So then, cry out with holy prayer to Him Who vanquished death while standing firm against the devil’s wiles. The scriptures tell us, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” So do not become entangled in the world’s affairs so that you do not become distracted by the influences of darkness. Remember Christian; no one knows the day nor the hour when our triumphant king, Jesus Christ, will appear for His bride and destroy the wicked with the breath of His word. The Bible tells us, “Abide in Him so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
Again Christian, prepare for battle; let us not sleep as others do, but be alert and sober. Wage the good war of warfare. Do not let sin reign in your mortal bodies. If you allow even a hint of sin to remain in your members, it will begin to blind your eyes to the damage it is doing to you. It will lead you away into a prison cell of discontentment. O, the deceitfulness of sin, how it ravages the soul, takes fallen passions, and disguises them as sweet as the honeycomb. First, it lures you in with its craftiness, and then it spins its web of regret around you and holds you in its grips. Unsheathe thy sword beloved of God and let not the wickedness of this world put its grips on you, for you have been set apart for Christ. The battle is a worthy cause, and it is only for a short time. So put your mind upon the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, you will also be revealed with Him in glory. When He returns, you will see Him for as He is, a triumphant King who has loved you with an everlasting love, and you will find rest for your soul throughout all eternity.
“Let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”
1 Thessalonians 5:6 NASBS