Devotional Guide for Thursday, April 18

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17

Reflect
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope,…” (v 16).

Paul identifies two gifts in this passage. The first is eternal encouragement. I’m sure you’ve experienced encouragement in some form or fashion in your life, and I’m guessing it sustained you for a little while, but it eventually wore off and maybe discouragement crept back into your life. This encouragement that God provides us will outlast the trouble, trials and judgement to come, and will sustain us until we experience eternal life. It won’t wear off or out.

The second gift is good hope. Like the first gift, this hope is not based on our own behaviour, but on God’s gracious love. With hope based in God’s love, we can be optimistic about the future.

May you receive and accept these two gifts of eternal encouragement and good hope today so that they may “…encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (vs. 17)

Pastor Terry

Pray for International Student Ministries Canada (Gary Short)
International Student Ministries Canada (ISMC) is a national ministry focussed on reaching international students who conduct their studies at Canadian universities and colleges.  It operates in three different spheres:  practical, social and spiritual. In Edmonton, the practical component consists of the furniture ministry and ESL, helping the students move and pick up furniture. Each person that we help in this way is offered a Bible. The social aspect consists of interacting with students at picnics and games nights, as well as hospitality provided by individual volunteers. The spiritual aspect is carried out through one-on-one studies as well as through offering small group Bible studies on Friday nights at McKernan.