I am serving the living and true God today.

Today’s Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 1:9, BSB- “For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.”

We have a living God who we can live to serve.

We can choose to serve the God of heaven over the gods of this world. There are many demands on us that can become idols or gods. We can be numbed by the volume of activities we face every day.

When I first harvested “I am serving the living and true God” from 1 Thessalonians 1:9 this morning, it felt good. When I added the word “today” I felt a sense of urgency. A wake-up call of sorts. Wait a minute, you mean today? I felt the need to look around to see what I could do immediately to serve God or evaluate whether I am even serving Him at all.

We can live as Paul, Silas and Timothy wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, “As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT)

What faithful work, loving deeds, and enduring hope can we share with any we encounter today? Can we live from the perspective of 1 Thessalonians 1:4, “We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.” (NLT)

As God’s own people, the Holy Spirit drives our deep convictions. As 1 Thessalonians 1:6 promises, we can imitate our Lord so that even in the midst of our afflictions we can experience the joy given by the Holy Spirit. We can find joy in serving our God no matter where we are.

It will not be easy, but we can do it because of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us praise God for living with us and ask Him to move us to serve Him today.

Today’s Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the Most High and One True God. Thank You for living with us today. Help us to serve You. We praise Your name and ask that You teach us to imitate the life of service of our Lord Jesus Christ through Your Holy Spirit. Turn us away from any idols and false gods to You, our one true God. In the name of Jesus Christ we do pray. Amen.