December 15 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

2 Thessalonians 2:

¹Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
²That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
³Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
⁴Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
⁵Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
⁶And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
⁷For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
⁸And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
⁹Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
¹⁰And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
¹¹And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
¹²That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
¹³But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
¹⁴Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
¹⁶Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
¹⁷Comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.

Devotional

God is the God of all comfort. He knows that we in our sin and misery have need of comfort. And He in his mercy has pro­vided that comfort in Christ Jesus, and wants us to enjoy it. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to (Hebrew, to the heart of) Jerusalem." "Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her: rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her: that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations . . . . As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem." This comfort is realized through Christ. Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and when he held the Christ Child in his arms, he was comforted indeed, and was willing and ready to depart in peace. So our consolations are in Christ.

"What is thine only comfort in life and in death? That I with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil" (Heidelberg Catechism 1).

"Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting con­solation . . . . comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work."

Prayer

O Thou God of consolation, the Father of mercies, Thou alone canst comfort us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of Thee. We thank Thee that Thou didst not leave us comfortless; but didst send us Thy Holy Spirit, that other Comforter. May He lead and guide us into all truth, that we may understand Thy Word aright, and thus be assured of our only comfort in life and in death. For Christ's sake. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: 2 Cor. 1:3; Isa. 40:1, 2; 66:10, 11, 13; Luke 2:25; Phil. 2:1; 2 Thess. 2:16, 17.

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