December 2

Read: I Thessalonians 3:9-13

Night and day graying exceedingly that we… might perfect that which is lacking in your faith (I Thessalonians 3:10).

The Prayer For Completed Faith

“Paul found more to commend, less to rebuke, in this church than in any to which he wrote. Nevertheless, the defect in their faith was serious enough to drive the apostle to his knees in fervent and constant intercession, praying night and day.’ The first defect was their ignorance of some truths of the second coming of Christ. The second was a spiritual lack manifested in imperfect love and holiness; this was their more serious need.

“Such spiritual deficiency in our Christian lives is to be supplied by the perfection of love. ‘The Lord make you to increase and abound in love.’ In a previous chapter the apostle shows us the quality of this spirit: ‘We exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children’ (2:11). Such a love transcends our natural affection. It results only as God works in the heart destroying all that is unlovely. Thus Paul prays, ‘May the Lord give you the same increasing and overflowing love’ (Phillips).

“The immediate result of this gift is that ‘He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God. It is through love that I am confirmed and strengthened in holiness, land it is through love that the heart appears blameless before God, for ‘love is the fulfilling of the law.’

“The ultimate result appears ‘At the coming of Christ with all his saints.’ To be ready for the return of Chest, to stand before God acquitted, we must be perfect in love and blameless in holiness. Have I let God put His love into my heart?” (W. E. McCumber)

Prayer For Today

O Lord, give us, we beseech Thee, in the name of Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, that love which can never cease, that we kindle our lamps, that they may burn in us and enlighten others. Lord Jesus, we pray Thee give us Thy light that we may always behold Thee, desire Thee, look upon Thee in love, and long after Thee, for Thy sake. — St. Columba