May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
2 THESSALONIANS 3:5
The Isthmus of Suez in Egypt is a stretch of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, and marks where the vast continents of Africa and Asia meet. It is also where the Suez Canal was built, to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. It is a place where worlds connect.
This passage brings together two worlds—the love of God and the steadfastness (or patience) of Christ. Paul prays that God will lead Christian believers into the vast depths of these two worlds.
Imagine a teacher standing up in front of a classroom of 100 pupils who are preparing for some kind of Christian ministry, and asking a simple question: “Do you believe God loves you?”
How many do you think would say, ‘Yes’? This really happened, and only two said ‘Yes!’ The rest gave answers like these: “I know I’m supposed to say yes, but…” or “I know the Bible says God loves me, but I don’t feel it.” What would you have said?
Jonathan Edwards helps us get to the heart of the problem, “there is a difference between having a rational judgment that honey is sweet and having a sense of its sweetness.” In other words, it’s possible to know that honey is sweet or that God loves you because someone tells you. But you don’t really know the sweetness of honey or God’s love until you’ve tasted them for yourself.
Millions of people in the world today have a faith—they have been brought up to believe Jesus died and rose, and they go to church, but they have no experience of the love of God. We desperately need this prayer.
Have you tasted God’s love and patience for yourself? If not, would you personalise and pray the prayer Paul prayed for the Thessalonians right now?
“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.”
Written by Colin Smith
Read by Sue McLeish
