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A DIRECTED HEART (I)
MONDAY, JUNE 7
2 Thessalonians 3:5

1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

 

“…the Lord direct your hearts into

the love of God…”

 

A DIRECTED HEART (I)
 
The Apostle Paul closes his second epistle to the Thessalonians with a prayer that their hearts might be “directed” by the Lord (2 Thess 3:5). The word “direct” here has the sense of making a straight path and removing all obstacles. His prayer is that their hearts may thus be enabled to walk always in the path of “the love of God” ‒ in other words, that they might continue to love God.
 
Why did their hearts need thus to be directed? Paul opened the epistle with a thanksgiving for the Thessalonian Christians: “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth” (2 Thess 1:3). Clearly their hearts were already full of love for God; this was evident in their abounding charity toward each other, for love of God and love of neighbour go hand in hand.
 
But, of course, it could not be taken for granted that such love would continue to abound. Obstacles could easily come in the way. Their focus might shift to rituals and ceremonies, to the observance of man-made rules such that, like the Pharisees, they might “pass over judgment and the love of God” (Luke 11:42). They might be tempted and drawn away to love the world; and as we are reminded by the Apostle John, “If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Though even in his first epistle to them Paul wrote, “as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia” ‒ yet he had cause to go on, “but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more” (1 Thess 4:9-10).
 
So it is also with us! Dear reader, ought we not also to pray that our hearts would be directed into the love of God: that all obstacles hindering us from walking that path might be removed, and that we might “increase more and more” in the enjoyment and exercise of this love?
 
THOUGHT: I need to abound in the love of God.

PRAYER: Father, help me to love Thee more and more!

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