Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 81

March 22;    I Thessalonians 3:7;    81/260(II);    ‘The Heart of the Lord’

1 Thessalonians 3:7 So we have been greatly comforted, dear brothers and sisters, in all of our own crushing troubles and suffering, because you have remained strong in your faith.       NLT

The Lord Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to suffer beyond our comprehension, so that we could know Him and become strong in our faith.  In essence, that is what the Apostle Paul is saying in this verse.  We have seen in 2 Corinthians 11, the list of what Paul went through as he continued his ministry.  What comforted Paul and I am sure made him feel that everything he went through was worthwhile, was learning that the congregants of the church in Thessalonica remained strong in their faith.  The Lord Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation.  But Jesus continued in that verse to tell us to be of good cheer, because He had overcome the world.  You have to stand for something.  Making the decision that you are going to serve the Lord Jesus, help everyone that you can, regardless of any persecution you may experience, establishes in you a Christ like character that nothing can compare to.  Because of the call on Paul’s life and the incredible revelation he was given by the Holy Spirit to teach the church, demonic persecution was assigned to Paul to hinder his ministry in every way it could be hindered.  It got to the point where Paul cried out to the Lord to help him.  The Lord’s response was that His grace was sufficient for Paul.  Sometimes the opposition is so strong that you ‘cannot see the forest for the trees.’  Paul knew all about the authority he was given by the Lord.  Jesus was saying, His grace was for Paul to use that authority to bind that demon that was harassing him.  Paul was willing to suffer to strengthen Christians in their faith.  We are too.