one step: 1 Thessalonians 5.1

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-2

From these words, we gather that Paul had spoken to the Church in Thessalonica about the future return of Jesus Christ previously.* Though he had addressed it before, he revisits it again. In chapter 4, Paul addressed the concern that those in the church had for those who had already passed away and the implications of that in relationship to the return of Jesus.* In this chapter, the focus is concerned about what the return of Jesus will mean for those living.*

Concern about the timing of the return of Jesus is not a new phenomenon.* As Gene Green tells us,

Preoccupation with the timing of the day of the Lord arose frequently in biblical and Jewish literature; thus the question the Thessalonians raised is hardly surprising. In Daniel 12:6 the prophet asks, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?” In 4 Ezra 4:33, which was written late in the first century a.d., the same concern appears: “How long and when will these things be?” On more than one occasion the disciples inquired about the time of the end (Matt. 24:3; Luke 17:20; Acts 1:6), and Peter declares that this was the question that occupied the ancient prophets (1 Pet. 1:10–11). But in the face of so many concerns about when the end would come, the NT maintains an agnosticism about the time of the day of the Lord (Matt. 24:36; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7). In the following verse the Thessalonians are reminded that they cannot know when this grand event will occur but that they should be prepared for it at all times.

Paul goes on to say in later verses that the appropriate approach to waiting for the return of Christ is living in faith, love, and hope (v. 9).* Conspicuously missing from this list is worry, anxiety, anger, and a judgmental attitude. Paul is not trying to fuel escapism, nor is he attempting to fuel their focus on the end of things.* Rather, Paul desires to inform and encourage the church in their daily life and conduct.* Paul’s hope is that providing them clear thinking about the end will help the church to live as true Christians in the present.*

How many times do we need help and reminding to live well in the present? I know that I need the reminder a lot.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember that Jesus is returning so that you can walk in faith, love, and hope. Perhaps today God wants you to lay aside your worry and fear about tomorrow. Maybe today God wants you to rest in the “not knowing.” Perhaps today God wants you to take one step closer to trusting that God has a plan for you that involves a future and a hope.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 165–166). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 200–203). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 229–232). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 416–421). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 93–94). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 142–143). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 343–347). Baker Academic.

one step: water break

Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

Exodus 1:22

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Matthew 2:16

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

---

In each of the verses above, the oppressing power in charge attempted to use death to control.

In hearing that a messiah was coming to free the people of Israel from the oppressive control of Pharaoh, Pharaoh ordered all child-aged would-be messiahs murdered. Similarly, upon hearing that the Messiah was coming to Bethlehem, Herod ordered that all young males be murdered.

It’s easy to allow the attacks of the enemy to become the focus. It’s easy because the enemy always has harm in mind: to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). It’s important to note that in the midst of attack, salvation is still coming. Salvation isn’t just coming as in “one day it will come,” but in these two stories, in the midst of threatening death, salvation was in the process of coming. The process of salvation had been initiated, and the savior was in their midst.

In our lives, it’s easy to see death, loss, and destruction as the end of the story for us. God sees something else. God sees our difficulty, and He cares deeply for us in the midst of it. But, God’s vision does not end there. Salvation is in process; the Savior is in our midst.

No matter what you are facing today, there is a God story being told as well. God is working despite the enemy’s efforts. God is working despite how things look to us. God is working out salvation. The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand… it’s coming… it has come. Oppression will not prevail.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to ask God for His perspective on your situation. Perhaps in the midst of the attack of the enemy and the brokenness of this world there is something God wants you to see that He is doing. Maybe today God wants you to see and partake in His salvation story. Perhaps God wants you to remember that oppression will not prevail.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

one step: water break

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

The One Step Daily Devotional is intended to provide just one step each day for your journey with God. Every journey requires water breaks. Here is a water break for you.

---

When I survey my life, I have found myself in seasons or conditions of lack. When there have been things that I have needed, I have looked around me, and found nothing. I needed something, but it wasn’t there for me. Yet, God promises through His Word that He provides for me what I need according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Interestingly, Paul wrote these words in Philippians 4:19 from prison.* Arguably, one could say that Paul did not have what he needed at the time of this writing: freedom. Conspicuously missing from Paul’s admonishment, however, is any talk of timing.* I can almost hear Paul saying, “God will supply all of your needs, but in His timing, not ours… though He is never late.”

When Paul wrote these words, they were in response to the kindness that the Church in Philippi showed him.* It was a generosity that, because Paul was in prison, he could not return.* Thus, Paul is saying, “because I cannot show goodness to you to meet your needs as you have met mine, God will take care of you with His eternal means!”

Also worth noting, Paul intentionally uses the word “needs.”* Scholars suggest that the needs that Paul refers to may include needs of a broader sense (such as spiritual needs), but one cannot deny that he includes physical needs in what God will supply.* Before we get too excited about all the needs that we can think of for God to supply, at the time of this text, the New Testament understanding of needs included merely food and clothing.* In our society today, we are convinced that our needs include much, much more than that.

As I look back at my life, I cannot deny the goodness, provision, guidance, and love of God. As I look back at my life, if I am honest, I can see that much of what I needed was really nothing more than what I wanted. This comes as no surprise to me as I awaken more and more everyday to the reality that our culture is bent toward consumption and meeting perceived needs instantly.

Paul’s words are not intended to put us on a pseudo-Christian path toward comfort and ease. The Christian life is a life that follows Jesus; this life is not void of difficulty and suffering.* It is a life, however, that allows us to turn to God, whose wealth is eternal, and have every need met.*

I don’t always know what I need, and I don’t always know the right timing, but I do know the God who knows and can and wants to do something about it.

How do I know that He wants to do something about it? Paul finishes this glorious promise with “in Christ Jesus.” The goodness that God shows us in meeting our needs is not according to our own efforts, but it is according to the work of Jesus Christ.* The work of Jesus Christ is something that God initiated, God empowered, and God fulfilled… because He loves us… and eternal salvation was our greatest need.

Thank the Lord for that.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to take a deep breath of trust that He will meet your needs. Perhaps today God wants you to release your wants. Maybe today God wants you to allow Him to be your provider.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Fee, G. D. (1999). Philippians (Vol. 11, pp. 192–193). IVP Academic.
Thielman, F. (1995). Philippians (p. 238). Zondervan Publishing House.
Hawthorne, G. F. (2004). Philippians (Vol. 43, pp. 273–274). Word, Incorporated.
Garland, D. E. (2006). Philippians. In T. Longman III (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians–Philemon (Revised Edition) (Vol. 12, pp. 259–260). Zondervan.
Silva, M. (2005). Philippians (2nd ed., p. 209). Baker Academic.
Hansen, G. W. (2009). The Letter to the Philippians (pp. 324–327). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Keown, M. J. (2017). Philippians (Vol. 2, pp. 447–453). Lexham Press.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 4.4

Therefore encourage one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 4:18

These simple words of Paul communicate much about Paul, death, and our future hope.

1. Paul notably did not position himself as the source of encouragement.* Unlike some leaders in our day, Paul recognized that the gift of God to His people included the Holy Spirit and the church community. Paul served as a member of the community and as a conduit of the Holy Spirit, but Paul did not seek to connect God’s people to himself as the source of comfort.

2. The message of the resurrection of Jesus found in the preceding verses takes the normative message of death (hopelessness) and turns it into a message of encouragement: death is not the end.* Wonderfully, we will be joined once again with Christ and one another.* In fact, the Greek word translated as “encourage” can also be translated (as in the NASB) as “comfort.”* Because of Christ, there is a message of great comfort to all who believe in Him.*

3. Our future hope is accessible. Because Paul invites all of us to encourage one another with the knowledge of our future resurrection and the defeat of death, he also permissions us to a place of respect.* The Gnostics of the time of Paul would limit this kind of knowledge of the resurrection of Christ to the elite.* Paul makes treasure such as this knowledge something for all to share in. Because our future hope is for all who place their belief in Jesus, all may share about it.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to ask Him if there are ways that you have positioned yourself as the source of comfort in someone’s life in an unhealthy way. Perhaps today God would have you find comfort in the community of Christ, remembering that in times of great loss, great hope lies ahead. Maybe God wants you to share the hope of our future resurrection and the defeat of death with someone you know.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (p. 152). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 190–191). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 228–229). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, p. 407). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, p. 92). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (p. 141). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 336–337). Baker Academic.

one step: 1 Thessalonians 4.3

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

Long throughout history has the word “asleep” been used as a descriptor of death.* Used in the Old and New Testament, the Iliad, and other ancient Greek and Latin writings, the readers of the letter to the Thessalonians would have understood that Paul speaks of those that they love who have passed away.* Even in modern times, gangster movies describe “sleeping with the fishes” to describe a watery death.

While we all share an understanding that the use of the words “sleep” and “death” may be synonymous, Paul invites us to not share something with the ancient Greeks. According to the ancient Greeks, death was final.* To them, to “go to sleep” in death was to enter into an eternal rest.* The radical, history-disrupting message of Christians is that death is no longer a permanent status!* How can this be?

Paul tells us that because Jesus raised from the dead, we too can put our hope that we will raise as well!* This is phenomenal news because it changes the way that we look at death.

Like Paul, the Greeks also taught that we should limit our grief about the loss of loved ones.* The Greeks, however, believed that we should limit our grief because death is coming for us all.* Their fatalistic view sought to numb and deaden the emotional loss associated with eternal separation from those we love.* Why? Because in their view, it was going to happen one way or another anyway.

For the Christian, we ought to limit our grief because hope is so real for us! Christians are permitted to grieve the loss of loved ones, but we should not drown in our grief as if we have no hope, nor should we quiet our pain because of a fatalistic view of the finality of death.*

For those who put their trust in Jesus, God says to us through Paul, “cry for the loss, but recognize that it’s temporary.”

Because of the work of Jesus, death becomes a doorway to a place of peace. Like sending a loved one to a foreign land that we know we will one day join, we cry tears for the time apart, but we know that reunion awaits us.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to allow yourself to fully grieve the death of someone you love. Perhaps today you have been grieving as if you have no hope, and God wants you to remember the hope that He provided through Jesus. Perhaps today God wants you to share that hope with someone that you love.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Holmes, M. (1998). 1 and 2 Thessalonians (pp. 148–149). Zondervan Publishing House.
Shogren, G. S. (2012). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (pp. 180–183). Zondervan.
Green, G. L. (2002). The letters to the Thessalonians (pp. 216–221). W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.
Kim, S., & Bruce, F. F. (2023). 1 & 2 Thessalonians (D. B. Capes, Ed.; Second Edition, Vol. 45, pp. 374–385). Zondervan Academic.
Morris, L. (1984). 1 and 2 Thessalonians: An introduction and commentary (Vol. 13, pp. 87–89). InterVarsity Press.
Beale, G. K. (2003). 1–2 Thessalonians (pp. 131–136). InterVarsity Press.
Weima, J. A. D. (2014). Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: 1–2 Thessalonians (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.; pp. 307–320). Baker Academic.