A prayer for sufferers

I remain cancer free at this time.  I had blood work done on December 18 and a colonoscopy on January 30th, both showed no sign of cancer for which I am grateful.  I will have my blood tested every three months.  My next one will be March 18.  My hands and feet continue to experience a profound neuropathy.  I've gotten used to it, though it still does impede my typing somewhat.  It is my goal to write one post each week, reflecting on some aspect of the glory of Christ and his saving work from God's word.

I recently was struck by one of Paul's prayers for the Christians in the church located at Thessalonica.  In 2 Thess. 3:5 he expresses his prayer: "May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ." Paul often reports his prayers for the people to whom he writes.  He does this not simply to encourage his friends with the knowledge that he prays for them and certainly he does not do it to show what a super spiritual person he is.  Rather his prayers are meant to teach us what only God can do and thus to teach us what we ought to be asking him to do.

What is Paul asking the Lord to do?  First, the verb "direct" is a very strong verb.  It means to guide or direct a person or thing to his or its final destination.  Paul uses the verb in his first letter tot he Thessalonians when he says, "may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you."  Clearly here he means for God to overcome every obstacle and clear the way and impel he and Timothy to travel to Thessalonica.  So in our verse Paul is asking God to do all that is necessary to make sure our hearts arrive into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.

When he mentions our hearts he is thinking of that part of us which determines all that we think, feel, say and do.  It is my affections, what I love, trust in, fear, desire, value.  Thus Paul is asking God to bring their hearts into a full knowledge and experience of the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.  He aims for these Christians to value and trust and rejoice in and desire these two things.

What is the "love of God" and "the steadfastness of Christ"?  The love of God is God's love for us in Christ.  Paul wants these believers to be fully aware of and consumed with the wonder and glory of being loved by the great Triune God who shows his love for  his people by giving his son to die for us.  Second he wants Christians to be overcome with the wonder of Christ's patient endurance of all the sufferings he went through.  We are to be amazed by and desire and value the patient endurance of Christ; his settled determination to pay whatever cost in order to save us and glorify his Father.

The Thessalonians were in the midst of profound suffering.  Paul knows that what they need are hearts taken up with God's love and Christ's steadfast suffering to accomplish God's will.  When we know and trust and love the love of God for us we can endure all things because we know nothing can separate us from this amazing love.  When we see Christ's joyful endurance of suffering beyond our comprehension it strengthens us to also remain steadfast in the midst of our troubles.  In my own experience it is as my heart has rested and rejoiced in these two things that I have found strength to press on, to not give up.  Especially as I sat by my son's bed in the early days after his accident I was helped by considering the steadfastness of Christ in his sufferings.

May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.