October 04 2026

October 04 Sunday

2 Thessalonians 3:3-5

“The Lord Is Faithful”

“But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” 

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat. Today we continue in 2 Thessalonians chapter 3, and I want to begin with five words from verse 3 that I believe every Christian should hold close to his or her heart: “But the Lord is faithful.” Yesterday Paul said: “Not all have faith.” Then immediately he says: “But the Lord is faithful.” People may disappoint you. People may fail you. People may make promises and break them. Even people we love sometimes let us down. And if we're honest, we have sometimes disappointed others too. But here is one thing you can build your life upon: The Lord is faithful.

Paul says the Lord will “establish you and guard you from the evil one.” Think about everything these Thessalonian believers were facing. They were being persecuted. False teachers were trying to deceive them. The mystery of lawlessness was already at work. Paul himself was facing opposition. But Paul didn't say: “Everything is falling apart.” He said: “The Lord is faithful.” Maybe that's exactly what someone needs to hear today. Perhaps you're going through something you never expected. Maybe you've prayed and haven't yet seen the answer. Maybe you're carrying a burden nobody else knows about. Maybe someone you trusted disappointed you. Maybe you are concerned about one of your children or grandchildren. Whatever you're facing, remember: The Lord is faithful. He was faithful yesterday. He is faithful today. And He will be faithful tomorrow.

When I look back over more than fifty years of ministry, I can tell you there have been plenty of surprises along the way. There have been mountaintops. There have been valleys. There have been wonderful victories. There have been disappointments. There have been prayers answered almost immediately, and there have been prayers where I've had to wait. But looking back over all those years, I can testify: God has been faithful. I haven't always understood what He was doing. But He has been faithful. I haven't always known where He was leading. But He has been faithful. And I'm convinced that when we reach heaven and look back over our entire journey, we'll say: He was faithful every step of the way.

Then Paul expresses confidence that these believers will continue doing what the Lord has commanded them.

And in verse 5 he gives us a beautiful prayer: “Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.” I love that word: Direct. We need the Lord to direct more than our feet. We need Him to direct our hearts. Because if our hearts are pointed in the right direction, our lives will follow. And where does Paul want our hearts directed? First: “Into the love of God.” Never get away from God's love. Never become so busy serving God that you forget how much He loves you. Never allow failure to convince you that He has stopped loving you. Never allow suffering to make you question His love. The cross settled that question forever. God loves you.

Then Paul says: “into the patience of Christ.” The Christian life requires patience. We wait for answers to prayer. We wait for circumstances to change. We wait for loved ones to come to Christ. And ultimately, we wait for Jesus to return. But Christian patience isn't sitting around doing nothing. It is faithfully continuing while we wait. Keep praying. Keep trusting. Keep loving. Keep serving. Keep believing. Why? Because: The Lord is faithful. That's a wonderful truth for a Sunday morning.

Maybe today you can look back across your own life and see evidence of God's faithfulness. Why not take a moment and thank Him? Thank Him for prayers He answered. Thank Him for doors He opened. Thank Him for doors He closed. Thank Him for carrying you through valleys. Thank Him for forgiving you when you failed. Thank Him for never leaving you. And then look toward tomorrow with confidence. The God Who was faithful in your past will be faithful in your future. “But the Lord is faithful.”

Let's pray. Father, thank You for the wonderful assurance that You are faithful. People may fail us, circumstances may change, and we may not always understand what You are doing, but You never change. Thank You for Your faithfulness throughout all the years of our lives. Direct our hearts into Your love and give us the patience of Christ as we wait upon You. Help us keep trusting, serving, praying, and looking for the return of Jesus. In His precious name we pray, Amen.

God bless, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!