2 Thessalonians 2 - 8.5.25

SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 2:13-16 “But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

OBSERVATION:  Paul wrote to the Thessalonians to help them grow in their faith.  In this second letter, he continued to encourage them to be courageous and to remain consistent in their conduct.  Back in the Book of Ephesians, he taught that they didn’t influence God’s decision to save them; He saved them, and us according to His plan.

We have been made holy and blameless by God because of how Jesus exchanged our sins on the cross for God’s mercy, grace and forgiveness.  To those who believe and have professed that Jesus is Lord, God actually looks at us as if we never sinned! 

Paul is reminding them that they were chosen, predestined, and called to share in the glory of Jesus Christ!

APPLICATION:  It is hard to fathom why God would choose to use us to partner with Him, but His Word says that we have been called by God to share in the glory of Jesus Christ!  We have been chosen to receive His gift of salvation. His purpose for our lives was settled before the foundation of the world.  He knew who would respond to His call. 

PRAYER:  God, thank You that You called me and created me for Your good purpose.  You set me free from the bondage of sin and death so that I could be given the freedom to serve and honor You. Thank You that even though I didn’t deserve it, or couldn’t earn it, You saved me, and are the One Who is helping me to stand firm through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.  Thank You for encouraging me through Your Word, and for building me up so that I am able to turn around and do the same for others in sharing Your eternal encouragement and good hope.  And thank You for teaching, helping, and equipping me to be a faithful witness for You, and for giving me the awesome privilege of being able to share in the glory of Jesus!

- Robin Orefice

Proverbs 24 - 8.4.25

Scripture

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭32‬-‭34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.”

Observation

In these verses, King Solomon shares his wisdom of what he has observed and learned in life. And the lesson King Solomon is trying to teach the reader is that laziness leads to poverty. Just as a neglected field and vineyard become overgrown with weeds and fall into ruin-(vs.30-31), a life of idleness leads to a life of poverty and hardships. These verses serves as a warning against procrastination and the importance of being diligent and working hard to live a prosperous life.

Application

If we’re not careful, laziness can ruin every aspect of our life. 

Let’s start off with how it can affect us financially. Obviously if we don’t work, we don’t eat.

“Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” -‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬b

Meaning, if we’re too lazy to get a job, or too lazy to show up to work, how else can we expect to obtain any finances to buy necessities in life like food, shelter, and clothing? I always find it funny that the lazy people I come across in life quite often have these HUGE aspirations for success, but aren’t willing to make the sacrifices and work for it. 

“Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.” -‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭25‬ ‭

Laziness can also affect our physical health. I hate to admit it, but this is my struggle in life. I mean, once I get home from a hard day at work, that’s a wrap for me! Exercise is the last thing on my mind. Combine that with unhealthy eating habits and that’s a recipe for disaster! Next thing you know, you’re 20-50 pounds overweight and you start developing diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, pre-diabetes and are prone to get gout attacks. Ouch! I’m sure it doesn’t get any better as you get older; because you start running the risk of all these back and joint pains, but worst of all, you run the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Talk about life ruining events. It’s definitely something we can’t overlook. 

Finally, and most importantly, laziness can affect us spiritually. Whether we are procrastinating on having that relationship with Jesus and accepting Him as our Lord and Savior or simply being lazy and holding off spending time with God through prayer, reading His Word, and going to church, these bad habits of spiritual laziness can have eternal consequences. Holding off until the last minute in deciding to follow Jesus is scary game of “Russian Roulette”. Tomorrow is never guaranteed for us. Each day is a gift from God. So, it’s best we make the best of our decisions or we may end up forever separated from God’s light and His presence (the definition of Hell). Don’t put spending time with Him on the back burner either. If God is truly #1 in our lives, we will prioritize spending time with Him over anything else. If we get too lazy and nonchalant about it, we are more prone for attacks by the enemy. The enemy is ready to pounce on us because his sole mission is to steal, kill, and destroy-(John 10:10). 

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” -‭1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭

So, take it from King Solomon: Don’t be lazy! Don’t let laziness be the ruin of you. Be strong and courageous. Keep up the good work. Keep the faith! 💪🏽🙏🏽

Prayer

Father God, thank You for blessing me with all the gifts and talents, the strength to work, and the will to see it through. Help me to be a good steward of every aspect of the things I wrote about this morning. Forgive me for being lazy and neglecting my physical health. Give me the will power to do better. Help me to work hard in every aspect of life and to do it in a way that honors You. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽 

-Moses Gaddi

Proverbs 21 - 8.1.25

Scripture: Proverbs 21:2

A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart

Observation

In the first line of the verse, a person may think their own ways are right, we see in this political climate, we see many political leaders say they have the answers to our problems. They also say that the other side is part of those problems. In the news media and social media, people voice their opinions on who is right. In Church we see this in our tithes and offerings that we give according to what we feel instead of what God asked us for. How about our time, we give the Lord so little like prayer and reading the scriptures.

As a father, there were lots of times I thought I was doing things right. As a manager at work, there are many times I felt I was doing things right. It is easy to think we are right. As a Christian, we can especially think we are right thinking we have God to back us up. So when we think we are right, the scripture in Isaiah 64:6 states “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”

In the second line of Proverbs 21, “but the LORD weighs the heart”, God sees our heart. Are we honoring God? Are we humbly seeking him? Are we giving him our time? Are we honoring him with our provisions? Do we love God, and love people unconditionally? We see in 1st Samuel 16:7 that the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Application

Starting the day with the Lord in prayer and with scripture can calm the heart before the storm of the day. If you have the means to listen to worship music throughout the day, it can help keep you in focus with the Lord. The following verses talks about how we could move our heart towards the Lord:

Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Psalm 139:23-24 - “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Romans 12:2  - “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

2 Corinthians 9:7 - “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

Prayer

Dear Lord, Search my heart, help me not lean on my own understanding. Let me be slow to speak. Forgive me when I say what is right in my own eyes, when I do not seek you first. Let me seek you with all things whether it be family, work, finances, entertainment and even your Word. Holy spirit, free my heart from my own understanding. Thank you for loving me Jesus. Amen

- Robert Oberg