Our Daily Scripture – 9/6/25 (Saturday)

SCRIPTURE:  2 THESSALONIANS 3

MEMORY VERSE:  

“But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

“Never tire of doing what is right.” (2 Thessalonians 3:13)

REQUEST FOR PRAYER (vs. 1-5)

  1.  Pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored. (v. 1)
  2.  Pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. (v. 2)

WARNING AGAINST IDLENESS (vs. 6-15)

  1. Keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. (v. 6)
  2. You ought to follow our example as we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of  you. (vs. 7-8)
  3. If a man will not work, he shall not eat. (v. 10)
  4. Tell the people who are not busy but are busybodies to settle down and earn the bread they eat. (v. 12)
  5. Never tire of doing what is right. (v. 13)
  6. Do not associate with anyone who does not obey our instructions in this letter.  Yet, do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. (vs. 14-15)

FINAL GREETINGS (vs. 16-18)

“May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The Lord be with all of you.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”

THOUGHTS:

Some people in the Thessalonian church were falsely teaching that because Christ would return any day, people should set aside their responsibilities, quit work and just wait for the Lord.  But their lack of activity led them to become meddlers and gossipers.  They became a burden to the church which had to support them.  Paul told them to follow this rule:  “Whoever does not work should not eat”.  And he mentioned  that he and his companions worked hard so that they won’t become a burden to any of the believers.  Being ready for Christ’s coming does not mean that we become idle.  Instead, we must live in such a way that our faith and our daily practice will please him when he arrives.

Paul counseled the church to stop supporting financially and associating with those who persisted in their idleness.  When those idle people experience hunger and loneliness, it will teach them to become productive.