2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

We had a wonderful fellowship last Sunday at our Baptist Retreat Center, Camp Living Waters. There was a water slide, huge swimming pool, food, and plenty of people. It is wonderful to get to visit with your church family in a relaxed "holiday" atmosphere. It was a like a family reunion or a Christmas or Thanksgiving where you get to see everyone and just talk and catch up.

This is something that was on my mind this morning. 6:30 am, and I don't even do mornings????


May our Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father, who loved us ... comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

~ 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, NLT

The love of God in Christ Jesus, is the spring and fountain of all the good we have or hope for. There is good reason for strong consolations, because the saints (those who have accepted Christ)have good hope through grace. The free grace and mercy of God are what they hope for, and what their hopes are founded on, and not any worth or merit of their own. The more pleasure we take in the word, and works, and ways of God, the more likely we shall be to persevere therein. But, if we are wavering in faith, and of a doubtful mind, halting and faltering in our duty, no wonder that we are strangers to the joys of life and love.
Everlasting(forever) console and good hope are ours, we should be seeking this in the word and in prayer, this is part of salvation. It takes work and effort on our part, it's there and available, let's fight laziness and seek God for console and good hope.
A great part of our duty depends on prayer seriously performed. There is nothing that will keep us as close to God as maintaining communion between us and God as a daily sense of our emptiness, and God's both fullness and readiness to supply all our wants.
'And God, even our Father.' God is a word of power; Father expresses his good-will and love. God stands in both relations to us, as he did also to Christ: John 20:17 'I go to my God and your God, my Father and your Father.' Both joined together signify his power and readiness to do good. He that is our Father is true God also, and he that is true God is also our Father; and therefore we may depend on him. That which we are to open is the term Father, which speaks both comfort and duty to us.
Comfort. For God's dealing with us will be very fatherly; as a father loves his children, so will God love his people: 2 Cor. 6:18, 'I will be a father to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord.'
In order for any of us to be effective, we need to have a base of comfort (or security). Without this, we will never endeavor to act on our faith (through God-honoring actions and words). This is why the Apostle Paul encourages the believers to know that they are loved by Him; and that they have received hope and grace in Christ.

If you are in Christ today, you are in a blessed position--whether you feel like you are, or not. May God make His face shine on you today.

When you are depressed don't try to measure your progress based on how you "feel." A depressed person is already pessimistic and has a negative opinion of themself. Instead of asking yourself if you're "feeling better," think of these questions:
Am I crying less?
Am I sleeping better?
Do I like myself more?
Am I more hopeful?
These questions will help you measure your progress much more than going by your feelings.