1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

This chapter has many justly famous verses, perhaps most notably 16-18, but I really like these two as well, probably because of a musical setting for them in Japanese that I learned several years ago. The translation used for that was slightly different, and when I translated it into English I had to pad it out to match the music, but it is certainly a helpful, encouraging passage, and music is a wonderful memory aid. Sometimes we get really discouraged at our own lack of spiritual maturity and/or progress, and this speaks directly to that. We aren’t particularly faithful, but Jesus is! We would have run away long before Gethsemane, but Jesus didn’t, and so we can anchor our faith in Him. It’s not at all that we aren’t to try to be faithful in all things, but it is a reminder that though we can’t get it all right, Jesus can and He has already accomplished it in eternity.

I’m reminded of what the Lord told me personally several years ago: rest, relax, rejoice. The world is full of conflict of various kinds, much of it internal. As the hymn, Just As I Am says, “fightings within and fears without.” We won’t be completely free of it all until we stand before the Throne, but even right now we can be assured of victory, because our Lord conquered all on the cross. (Romans 8:37) I’m not to be careless or presumptuous, but neither am I to be afraid, even of my own weakness. After all, I’m not to depend on myself, but on my Lord. Looking back over my life, it is very interesting to see that when I was most weak, the temptations that came were mild, but when the temptations were extreme, I was strong. God is incredibly gracious! As a little chorus puts it, “God’s got it all in control. Way down in my spirit, way down in my soul, God’s got it all in control.” The better I remember that, the better I can obey the instructions He gave me.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Right now my body is what’s giving me the most issues, but I can release that to You as well. May I walk in the peace and gratitude You desire and have prepared for me, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!