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Peace

Peace

Words of Faith 5-1-19

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2019

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA) - Melbourne, FL      

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940

(321)-259-7200

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

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2 Thessalonians 3

    [16] Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

 

         Paul was about done now with this communication.  He closed his letter with a prayer, a final greeting, and a benediction. 

         From correction, Paul turned to intercession. Without the Lord's working, all exhortations would be ineffective. Paul's concern was for peace within the church through the unity of all members obeying the truth. The Lord is the source of peace. 

         Paul had prayed in his first letter-- May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thes. 5:23). 

        Similarly, Paul now prayed that the Lord would bestow His peace on the Christians in Thessalonica. A Christian and a church enjoy peace when they are rightly related to the will of God.  Paul prayed that this would be the Thessalonians' condition at all times regardless of their circumstances, even in persecution.

        In praying that the Lord would be with them all, Paul was not implying that God is with Christians only some of the time.  The Lord was clear about that. "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). 

       Paul was praying that the fellowship with Christ, something Christians can only enjoy as they obey His Word, might be given to each believer, not just of the obedient but also of those who were presently disobedient through idle living.

           These are among the extraordinary gifts of God for us!  The believer receives peace from "the Lord of peace Himself." This is not just for a time or season.  "At all times and in every way" means "always and by all means."   The believer receives peace "at all times and in all ways-- under all circumstances and conditions, whatever comes" (Amplified).

          And may the Lord be with you.  The believer also receives fellowship with the Lord, an exceptional and personal presence. The Lord be with all of you.  This was a very special prayer. 

          This is a wonderful blessing and prayer for the Body of Christ.  Churches will always have their disagreements and discussions.  There may be differences of opinion. But as the Lord is with us, we can always have peace-- at all times and in every way. 

 

         Father God, May the Lord of peace himself give us Your peace at all times and in every way. May the Lord be with all of us.  In Jesus' name.