Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: 1 Thessalonians
‘That You Sorrow Not As Others’

‘That You Sorrow Not As Others’

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‘That You Sorrow Not As Others’

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

I Thessalonians 4:13, 14

We have been discussing for the past several days the implications of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. We have considered that our hope in Christ is not ‘for this life only,’ but for the life to come as well. Today we arrive at a different text in a different book, in which Paul employs the same argument. This touches on our approach to the issue of death and the emotions we feel as we lose those whom we dearly love. Our text for today states, ‘But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.’ As we stand beside the grave, we experience wave after wave of truly human emotions. We can often barely comprehend all that we are experiencing. It is entirely appropriate for us to feel the loss, the pain, the grief, and the sorrow. There is a difference however, in the sorrow of those of us who understand the implications of Christ’s having risen from the dead. We ‘sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.’ Because Christ has risen from the dead He will, when He returns, bring those who have already died in faith with Him, more alive than they have ever been before. We feel the sorrow of the temporary separation. We miss them. We mourn their loss for the moment. We, however, ‘sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.’ The resurrection of Christ guarantees that we shall see them again, and that for all eternity.

Our, most Glorious Living Christ,
we praise You that You have risen from the dead.
We rejoice in the powerful effect which that has upon us, Your people.
We look forward to the day when all the saints of God
shall be gathered together as one Body around Your Throne of Grace.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Pray Without Ceasing

Pray Without Ceasing

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Pray Without Ceasing

Pray without ceasing.

I Thessalonians 5:17

We come again today to one of the very practical imperatives of the New Testament. In Luke 18, Christ spoke a parable to the purpose that, ‘men ought always to pray and not to faint,’ (or lose heart). We have perhaps, often heard people take this verse and make much of it by emphasizing our duty to obey the commands of the New Testament. While this is an intrinsically true statement, we ought not consider it apart from the Person of Christ. There is no true prayer apart from Christ. It is Christ Who has redeemed us and secured our access to the Father. It is Christ Who has taught us to pray. It is Christ, Who has shown us what it means to, ‘pray without ceasing,’ by the example of His Life.’ It is Christ Who ‘ever lives to make intercession for us.’ So that we can, indeed, ‘pray without ceasing’, knowing that God will hear us at any and all hours for the sake of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit Who is ‘renewing us in the whole person, after the Image of God,’ that is making us more like Christ, and thereby causing us to desire to, ‘pray without ceasing.’ All these things taken together lead us to a happy, joyful participation in prayer which elevates it above mere servile duty. If we may, because of Christ, have an unending, perpetual audience with the God of Glory, will we not find it most delightful to ‘pray without ceasing?’

Our Gracious God and Our Loving Heavenly Father,
we come before You with great delight.
It satisfies our souls to know that you receive us in all hours of the night,
therefore with joy we ‘pray without ceasing.’

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Rejoice Always

Rejoice Always

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Rejoice Always

Rejoice always.

I Thessalonians 5:16

We often hear great emphasis upon the commands of the New Testament. We behold these moral and spiritual imperatives laid out before us as, ‘what you must do,’ without any real indication of how to practically effect them apart from our exercise of will and self-discipline. Unpleasantly, this undermines the very foundation of practical Christian behavior. The Apostle Paul sets forth the correct order of things by his continued emphasis upon Christ. Each chapter of I Thessalonians closes with some reference to the return of Christ. This lays the groundwork for the imperative which serves as our text today, ‘rejoice always.’ What is important to remember is that everything else which Christ has done and is doing is preparation for what He shall do when He comes again. How, then may I, ‘rejoice always?’ I may ‘rejoice always’ by looking to Christ. God has chosen me in Christ, therefore I may ‘rejoice always.’ Christ has lived perfectly on my behalf, therefore, I may ‘rejoice always.’ Christ has died for me, therefore, I may ‘rejoice always.’ Christ has risen from the dead, and intercedes for me, therefore, I may ‘rejoice always.’ Christ is coming for me, therefore, I may ‘rejoice always.’ All these things work together in one harmonious concert, Christ, His Person and His Work enables me to ‘rejoice always.’

Our Glorious Living Christ,
we rejoice in You, Your Person, and Your Work.
We praise You, that this becomes the foundation
for all our other rejoicing.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning

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