Wed., 4/5/17 Devotion (1 Thess. 2:4)

Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:4, where Paul wrote these words to the church:

"But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts."

Like Paul, faithful church ministers today are not so concerned about any fal-len human beings, as they are about pleasing their Sovereign Lord. God's under-shepherds know that they are of no good to man at all, unless they are first and foremost honoring to and properly-representing their Lord Jesus, who sent them out to preach.

The same could be said for any churched Christian. The believer's primary goal is to see Christ as the sole "audience" of all his or her worship and obe-dience. In this way (only) is effective ministry, and victorious living possible.

[Puritan quote of the day: "Indeed, sometimes grace is as a sleepy habit in the soul, like sap in the vine—not exerting its vigor, due to spiritual sloth or by reason of falling into some sin—but this is only for a while. The spring of grace will come, the flowers will appear, and the fig tree will put forth her green figs.” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Contentment"]