Today's encouragement comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:4, where we read these words:
"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."The ministers of the church who are truly called by God are sent to speak to all people everywhere the gospel of Christ's grace. But we are to do so with our minds on the Triune God first. God is our principal “Audience.” What is it that *God* wants us to say? This is what must be preached. The faithful cler-gy do not poll the people, to determine what they want to hear. Instead, we "poll" the Lord (via His written Word), in order to know what He would have us proclaim.
This principle is then passed down to the entire church, wherein the people of God begin to think this way, too. They begin to ask, "What is it that Christ would have me do, and say?" This is the way to be effective for Jesus in the world. Then, when God "tests our hearts," we pass with flying colors—be-cause of Christ alone.
[Puritan quote of the day: "Christ is in the ship of His church; do not fear sink-ing. The church's anchor is cast in heaven. Do we not think that God loves His church, and takes as much care of it as we can?” —Thomas Watson, in, "The Art of Divine Contentment"]
