October 13

Jeremiah 22:1-23:20; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12; Psalm 83:1-18; Proverbs 25:11-14

Today we are starting 2 Thessalonians. I’ve often wondered, as I did again today, why Paul writes a second letter. Did he remember something else he wanted to say? Did some new information reach him, letting him know about what was happening at the church, and he felt like he had to address it?

We know from our study in 1 Thessalonians that Paul began his relationship with this church during the middle of his second missionary journey. Paul, Silas and Timothy leave Philippi, and travel 90 miles to arrive in Thessalonica, where Paul began his evangelistic activity in the local synagogue. At first, his teaching is met with great interest and lots of conversions, but this success arouses opposition, and in the end, Paul and his companions have to sneak out in the middle of the night and flee to Berea (Acts 17:10). From there, he is forced to flee again and ultimately ends up in Corinth, where he writes both of these letters, probably not that far apart in time (both were written in 51 AD).

From what we read in 2 Thessalonians, it seems like Paul is writing to correct some false teaching about “the day of the Lord” and also to commend the church for enduring persecution. We saw in 1 Thessalonians that he encouraged them to endure persecution well and it seems like they must have been succeeding in that, as Paul writes, “Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring” (2 Th. 1:4). What an encouragement that must have been to this young, struggling church! I love how Paul uses his letter to encourage and to teach, which we’ll see in the days ahead.

Today we also read one of my favorite proverbs: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” (Pr. 25:11). Isn’t the imagery and the language of that verse so beautiful? But more than that, I love its meaning. Have you ever had someone say something to you that just really made sense? That answered the question you hadn’t even been able to formulate yet? Or maybe it added clarity to a problem you felt had no solution. Maybe you’ve had someone say something that verbalized the beauty you were feeling but couldn’t quite put words to. When the perfect words are said, at just the right time, they really are as beautiful as apples of gold in setting of silver. I’ve had many such examples in my life, but I’ll just share one quickly, from around 12 years ago.

I was dating someone from my church that I wasn’t sure about. I liked him and knew he liked me, but I couldn’t quite tell where, if anywhere, things were going. And I knew that if things weren’t headed somewhere serious, then I should end the relationship before anyone got more attached. I can distinctly remember talking to my parents about it at a restaurant one night, and my mom asked me if, after he and I spent time together, I left him feeling like I wanted more time with him. “After he drops you off,” she said, “do you wish you had more time together?” In that moment, I knew I had my answer. Because I didn’t usually long for more time with him. While I had enjoyed the time together, I was always happy to get back to my roommates or whatever book I was reading. I didn’t wish the night would never end. And my mom’s words, so perfectly spoken, showed me that my heart wasn’t really in it, that I wasn’t moving toward building a life with this man. And good thing, because when I started dating my husband a few years later, I knew exactly what she meant. I wanted to spend every spare moment with Ian, and any day where I didn’t see him felt like a wasted day. I’m so thankful she knew just what to say to help point me away from one relationship so I would eventually have room for the right one. Gold apples in a silver setting. May our words be healing, clarifying, encouraging, hopeful – aptly spoken at just the right time.

- Esther McCurry

How did God speak to you in Scripture today? Click here to share your reflections on God's word or read past posts. We'd love to hear from you.