1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3

(August 10, 2015)

                We are given instruction here of what to do when we are faced with unreasonable men.  We are not to fight them, but rather to turn to the Lord to fight our battles for us.  We are to pray for protection from unreasonable men.

                This is ever so difficult to do, and the reason it is so difficult is because we know that it is entirely possible that the Lord will not intervene to protect us from unreasonable men.  It may be that either (a) they aren’t as unreasonable as we thought, and we are the ones who are really unreasonable, or (b) we need to learn patience or some other virtue.  Instead of taking that chance, we want to intervene in our own behalf and protect ourselves.

                I faced a situations where I was hurt by the unreasonableness of another.  The right answer, for a number of reasons, was to stay silent and accept these unreasonable actions even though they worked to create a large amount of unjustified pain in my life.  I prayed for protection and, in the end, the protection did not come.

                But what did come was a closer relationship with the Lord.  My desperation before and my pain after compelled me to turn to the Lord to deal with them.  I almost certainly could have defended myself against their unreasonable actions, but by so doing I would have missed the blessings that have come to me from going through the pain of the consequences for what they have done.  And I know, in the end, I will be blessed for my efforts to do the right thing.