2 Thessalonians 2:13-17: a reflection

13But we are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14to which he called you through our Good News, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15So then, brothers, stand firm and hold the traditions which you were taught by us, whether by word or by letter. 16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, 17comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.

As Paul encourages the Thessalonians, he points them to the comfort and hope God has given, and prays it will steady their hearts. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. God has given his people not a fleeting comfort but an eternal one, not a wavering hope but a good hope, and given it through grace, as a gift. This eternal comfort and good hope are meant to steady and establish their hearts. Because God has loved us and given us, by grace, a comfort that is eternal and a hope that is good and sure, our hearts can be comforted and established, resting on what God has freely given rather than on our circumstances.

Notice what God has given, and how: eternal comfort and good hope, through grace. The comfort is not passing but eternal; the hope is not uncertain but good and sure; and both are given through grace, as a free gift of God's love, not earned. God loved us and gave us these, that our hearts might be comforted and established. Our comfort does not depend on our shifting circumstances but on what God has given, an eternal comfort and a good hope that grace has secured. Because these are God's gifts, given through grace, they are steady and sure, able to comfort and establish our hearts through whatever comes. The comfort and hope God gives are as lasting as his love and as sure as his grace. God's own love is the source of this eternal comfort and good hope.

That is worth resting in, for God has given us, through grace, an eternal comfort and a good hope to steady our hearts. We can look for comfort and hope in our circumstances, which shift and fail; but God has given his people an eternal comfort and a good hope through grace, gifts of his love that do not depend on our circumstances. These can comfort and establish our hearts through whatever comes, because they rest on God's love and grace, not on our situation. When your heart needs comfort and hope, remember that God has given you, through grace, an eternal comfort and a good hope. Rest your heart on the eternal comfort and good hope God has given you through grace, rather than on shifting circumstances, as Paul prayed that the God who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope would comfort and establish your hearts; for God's gifts of comfort and hope are as lasting as his love and as sure as his grace, and they can steady our hearts through whatever comes because they rest not on our circumstances but on what God has freely given.

Lord, as Paul encourages the Thessalonians, he points them to the comfort and hope you have given, and prays it will steady their hearts. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word. You have given your people not a passing comfort but an eternal one, not a wavering hope but a good hope, and given it through grace, as a gift. This eternal comfort and good hope are meant to steady and establish their hearts. Show me what you have given, and how: eternal comfort and good hope, through grace. The comfort is not passing but eternal; the hope is not uncertain but good and sure; and both are given through grace, as a free gift of your love, not earned. You loved us and gave us these, that our hearts might be comforted and established. My comfort does not depend on my shifting circumstances but on what you have given. Because these are your gifts, given through grace, they are steady and sure. Let me rest in that, for you have given me, through grace, an eternal comfort and a good hope to steady my heart. I can look for comfort and hope in my circumstances, which shift and fail; but you have given your people an eternal comfort and a good hope through grace, gifts of your love. These can comfort and establish my heart through whatever comes. When my heart needs comfort and hope, help me remember that you have given me, through grace, an eternal comfort and a good hope, Lord, and rest my heart on your gifts rather than on shifting circumstances.