The Lord Leads Us!
Where?
2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

† Jesus, Son and Savior †

May the grace of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ enable you to consciously walk with God, following where He leads!

Intro:  He who wanders is lost

So, anyone recognize this proverb? Can you tell me if It is from proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or maybe a New Testament quote?

“Not all those who wander are lost.”

It’s actually from JRR Tolkien’s , Lord of the Rings, and though some geeks might think that classic is scripture, it is not.

I’ve heard people rely on this proverb to justify their own wandering, their own experiment with life, to find their own way.

To get lost deeper and deeper in the wilderness.

Yeah – all those who wander are lost – and they need someone to guide them out of the darkness and into the light of God’s glory!

Why would He pray this?

Paul stars chapter 3 of 2 Thessalonians with something we would probably expect – a plea for prayer for the mission of Christ. He asked, “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.”

That’s the reason we pray for our missionaries, and for our work as missionaries to Cerritos, and Artesia, to the folks at Fire Safety and USC and Brea Olinda High School, and to doctor’s offices all over Southern California.

But Paul’s request turns strangely personal, “² Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.”

It is almost like he feels like he is in one of Tolkein’s stories, in the Mirkwood or one of the other nasty, haunted parts of the story.

You ever feel that way, like the evil and wicked ones on earth oppress you and haunt you? Where the brokenness of all life, the trauma, and when we are so overwhelmed we need to know we aren’t alone. When we don’t know if God is hearing our prayers, (which He is!) and we ask others to share our burden.

When we talk about the blessing of confessing our sins, most of us know and depend on God forgiving our sins, but we forget that He cleanses us of all unrighteousness.

If we forget that, it is easy to fall into despair and doubt, it easy to forget who is watching out for us, and who would guide us

It is easy to forget, that is why the writer of Hebrews tells us,

²⁵  And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT2)

We have to remember that who is with us, is greater than the world….

That is why Paul talks q12r45about Christ leading us…

Look where He leads us!

³ But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. ⁴ And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you. ⁵ May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.

I love how the NLT phrases this! In the Greek it is simpler with some translations saying just direct your hearts to the love of God- but the preposition isn’t to, as if that is the target, it is into.

Brings to mind the old idea of you can lead a donkey to water but you can’t make him drink, or you drop the donkey right into the river!

God doesn’t want us to look at His love, to study it like a scientist, He wants us to be enveloped by it, to understand, as Paul prays for us,

¹⁶  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. ¹⁷  Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. ¹⁸  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT2)

Same consistent thought in Paul – experience the love of God!

Dwell into it, dive into it, be consumed by it, revel in it.

Share it with others.

Treasure it like nothing else you know in life, for God’s love is worth all it and more.

And deeply drawn into the love of God, you will know a peace that goes beyond the dark, dim, sin dominated world, even if we can’t understand how that happens!