21 January 2 Thessalonians 2
An external Comfort
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17(NLT) Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.
The New International Version says 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
When I read this passage, what strikes me is that Christ, and our Father, loved us by their grace and provided us with eternal comfort and wonderful hope. This comfort and hope are not temporary or transitory; they are eternal encouragement infused with divine life. It is sufficient for every situation, giving us good and wonderful hope.
It is a powerful statement to know that, regardless of what life throws at us, we have eternal comfort and wonderful hope. Our Lord will comfort us, strengthen us, encourage our hearts, and give us strength.
Here, eternal comfort or encouragement signifies God our Saviour coming alongside us as an ever-present, never-ending source of comfort during difficult times. And good hope is our expectation of the certainty of future goodness -knowing that things will change for the better and will not remain as they are.
Matthew 11:28–30(ESV) says: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
2 Corinthians 12:8-9(NIV) says: Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
In conclusion: May the Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word.