TUESDAY: PAYBACK

Sep 27, 2022
2 min read

Lord, I just need relief from the troubles which plague me. Please help me patiently and wisely handle situations in disagreeable relationships, so I can see them through Your eyes.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you because you believed our testimony to you.

When I feel pressure from people in this world which drives me to anger and anxiety, I want assurance that I don’t need to rely on my own emotional state to get me through. I don’t want to feel compelled to rely on myself, because in this state of mind, I am totally unreliable. I cannot think straight, talk straight, or act straight. All I’m good for in this state is to make a mess of any situation.

This passage tells me that I don’t have to rely on myself. If there are people who cause me trouble, I can count on God for justice. When I am troubled, God also brings me relief. How do I spell relief? J-E-S-U-S.

Jesus brings me relief when He reminds me that I used to be one of them: I used to seek out destruction and tear others down. Just as He offered me forgiveness, He also offers forgiveness to those who trouble me if they turn to Him.

THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS: When I get angry, I should seek forgiveness. I should seek forgiveness for the sins I commit in my anger, and I should also ask God to forgive the person who angered me. Even Jesus asked God to forgive those who nailed Him to the cross. When I seek the Lord’s will in my life, He will often allow me to see what He is doing. In some cases, He will change hearts and bring people to salvation through belief in His Son, Jesus. In others, He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. I thank the Lord for both His salvation and His judgment. I thank God for being just.

Lord, thank You for Your power over all creation. Thank You for Your sovereignty over my life. Through Your justice, I see You are indeed showing me how You are discipling Your children and leading them through hard times, so they will be stronger disciples for Your Kingdom.

May you be blessed,

Chaplain Wayne Ruckman