1 Thessalonians 1-2: Looking for Signs
I know this may seem odd, but the thing that stood out most to me in today’s reading was the little statement in I Thessalonians 2:18: “Because we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, again and again–but Satan hindered us” (ESV)
No doubt, it is nigh impossible in this earthly and finite realm to know when God is acting and when Satan is acting. However, this passage demonstrates that not every circumstance in our lives should be laid solely at God’s feet. Yes, I understand God could change things and everything that happens God allowed. I also understand that God can use everything that happened.
However, Paul said he had wanted to come to Thessalonica again and again, but Satan hindered him. In our attempts to give God the glory, we often lay at His feet things that aren’t necessarily His direct doing. When something doesn’t go the way we plan, we often try to comfort ourselves by saying things like, “I don’t know why God did that, but He knows best.” I appreciate that attitude, but at the same time, it may well have been Satan trying to keep something from happening.
Why does this matter at all? I think this demonstrates a flaw in the modern thinking that seems to suggest every day occurrences are close to a matter of revelation. We are looking for signs from God in what happens every day. When Paul was unable to go to Thessalonica, he knew it was not a sign from God, it was a hindrance from Satan.
Now, apart from miraculous revelation, there is no way of knowing which is which. We can’t hardly know when God was at work or Satan. Let us simply proceed with caution. Give thanks to God for the good things that happen. Rely on God through the bad things. Look at all things and strive to grow no matter what happens. But be careful trying to interpret what happens in your life as signs from God to direct you. It may well be a hindrance of Satan. Who knows, it may be a hindrance of Satan that God uses for good (cf. II Corinthians 12:7).
The conclusion of the matter is that God is has revealed His will for us in His word. He is not expecting us to interpret the circumstances of life to figure out His will for us. Whether His providence leads us in a certain way or Satan’s hindrance, God wants us to obey His will from His word no matter what is happening to us. Let’s quit looking for signs hidden in life and start relying on His message revealed in the Word.
Keep the faith and keep reading,
ELC
P.S. What caught your eye, stood out to you or moved you in today’s reading?
What is Going On Here?
I’m so glad you dropped by “Give Attention to Reading,” a blog dedicated to reading and discussing God’s word, the Bible.
This blog is not about pushing our favorite doctrines. It is not about debate (though I’m sure at times we might get some good discussion going). It is just about promoting the reading of Scripture. It is about reading it with a view to learning something each day.
This blog is driven by my book of the same title. I figured out if we read two chapters of the New Testament each week day, we can read the whole New Testament in exactly six months. My book provides a note page for each day of reading with a section of very simple questions to devote your mind to the text and some thought questions to help you take the study as deep as you want it. It also contains a weekly group discussion guide if you would like to take this journey with some friends.
Whether you get the book or not, this blog provides a spot for us to discuss how the Word has hit us. I hope you will join me each weekday and read the New Testament together. Each day, I will blog about how the day’s reading struck me. Usually, I will pick out some part of the reading that impacted me in a special way. Feel free to comment about my thoughts or share with other Bible readers some part of the day’s reading that really resonated with you. When we are all sharing how the Word impacts us, we will all grow together.
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May God richly bless you as you draw closer to Him.
More importantly, may you richly bless God.
P.S. I am currently working on a version for the Old Testament. Hopefully, by the time we are done with our present trek through the New Testament, we will be ready for the Old.
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