A Life-Changer

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews. (1 Thess. 2:13&14)

As indicated in bold print the Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 2:13&14 that they received the Word and they became. There was something about receiving the Word that changed their lives that was so simple that you will miss it. They started out like the difference between a quiet walk in the park to a powerful choo-choo train. What was it that changed their lives and made them people of power? It is in Verse 13. The Word of God got in them and it performed. It started doing what the Word does. It performs its work.
I remembered what God said about the work of the Word in Isaiah 11:55. It says that the Word that goes forth out of God’s mouth will not return void but will accomplish what it was sent uot to do.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

I have some homey’s in whom the Word is performing powerfully. They are so different from what they use to be that they are almost unrecognizeable.  They are like the difference between that walk in th park and the choo-choo train.
You will notice that I left, “became” open-ended but a study of the passage tells us what they became. They became imitators of what real people of God do. Real people of God don’t necessarily go to Church 3 or 4 days a week. Real people of God endure suffering. Nothing stops a child of God. You can ridicule them, plot against them but you can’t stop them.
Paul said:

“We are troubled on every side but not distressed, we are perplexed but not in despair, persecuted but not foresaken, cast down but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:9)

I just have to close with a song that frequently rings in my heart about people of power and th things that we endure.  It goes:

“In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet,
God leads His dear children along;
Where the water’s cool flow bathes the weary one’s feet,
God leads His dear children along.

Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,
God leads His dear children along;
Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night,
God leads His dear children along.

Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose,
God leads His dear children along;
Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,
God leads His dear children along.

Away from the mire, and away from the clay,
God leads His dear children along;
Away up in glory, eternity’s day,
God leads His dear children along.

Some through the waters, some through the flood,
Some through the fire, but all through the blood;
Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song,
In the night season and all the day long.”