Daily D – 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

by David Bowman | Nov 27, 2022 | Daily D | 0 comments

1 Thessalonians 1:6, 7 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. (NIV)

—

Followers of Jesus are imitators and models. They imitate Jesus. They model his lifestyle before others. How closely are you following Jesus? How well are you demonstrating his purpose?

Paul points out how these early believers lived what they said they believed. He begins here in the opening to the first letter, particularly verses 8-10. He continues in 2:13-15 and in 3:6 and 7. Still more is found in 3:10-12. Paul encourages them to double down on what they are already doing in 5:11. Skipping on to 2 Thessalonians 1, Paul begins by bragging about them in verses 3 and 4.

Pause and ponder as you read these snippets. Where do you match these early believers? Where do you need to grow?

People do what people see. Let us look ever more to Jesus and to those who follow him closely and model him well.

Those we influence will carry something of us into their relationships. What will they embrace that looks like Jesus? How will others see Jesus in them because they have been with us?

Imitate Jesus. Model Jesus.

—

I will imitate and model Jesus.

—

Our Father, empower us to see Jesus with an ever-clearer perspective. Empower us to live and love like Jesus. May those we influence be ever more drawn to him and carry on the lifestyle of imitating and modeling that shapes the next generation of disciples and beyond. Amen.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

CONNECT WITH ME!

Interested in learning more about Church Unique or Life Younique? Send a note through the Get In Touch box or Message me through the Facebook link above.

GET IN TOUCH!

READ MY BLOG!

Daily D – Deuteronomy 30:19-20

Deuteronomy 30:19, 20 “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 29:29

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 26:16-19

Deuteronomy 26:16-19 “The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 23:4-5

Deuteronomy 23:4, 5 “For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.”

Daily D – Deuteronomy 17:16-20

Deuteronomy 17:16-20 The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.

When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. It is to be with him, and **he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left.** Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.