January 8 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Thessalonians 1:

¹Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
²We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;
³Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;
⁴Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.
⁵For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
⁶And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.
⁷So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia.
⁸For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
⁹For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
¹⁰And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

Devotional

The wrath spoken of here is God's wrath. We do not hear much of the wrath of God in our day. The love of God is extolled; but the wrath of God is passed over in silence. Surely the love of God is so great that we can never fathom it. "God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son." Why did He do it? "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

But the Bible often speaks of God's wrath and God's anger, and the vengeance He will take on his enemies. The Bible tells us: "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." The Bible speaks of "the great day of his wrath." It speaks of everlasting punishment, of a place of outer darkness, a furnace of fire, where there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

We must remember that by nature we are the enemies of God, and have deserved eternal wrath. But Jesus delivered us from the wrath to come by his suffering and death and glorious resurrection. Now there is a way of escape. "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life: but the wrath of God abideth on him."

Prayer

O God, help us to realize that Thou art a holy and a just God. Thou dost not delight in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with Thee. Thou hatest all evildoers. Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies; the wicked cannot stand before Thee. O God, we all have sinned and deserve Thy wrath. But we thank Thee that there is forgiveness with Thee for all that confess their sins. We thank Thee for the multitude of Thy mercy. Grant that many may repent of their sins and flee from the wrath to come. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 3:16; Rom. 1:18; Rev. 6:17; Matt. 25:46; 22:13; 13:42; Rom. 5:8f.; John 3:36; Matt. 3:7.

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