Our message from Scripture today comes from 1 Thess. 3:10; “We pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith.”

Several times in his letters, the apostle Paul prayed for his fellow Christians to grow, to mature, to be filled up with Christ and life in Him. Here, in 1 Thess 3:11-13, he expresses his desire that what was lacking, what they needed for their faith, could be provided. There were three things they needed: (1) a straighter path, (2) a greater love, and (3) a deeper dedication. Let’s briefly consider these in light of what Scripture offers for our faith today.

First, there is no doubt we need God’s help in fulfilling His purpose in our lives, to stay on the right path and not get distracted by sin. The Psalmist said, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (119:105). We need God’s word so we can be where God wants and needs us. Next, we need an overflowing love which makes life abundant, as it “spills over” from us to bless the lives of others. Paul wanted God’s children to have a love “that may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Phil. 1:9), to do what’s right for each other. Lastly, we need a deeper dedication, to be firmly set in our commitment for living out God’s purpose for us. Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 7:1, “Let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

May we seek to use these avenues Scripture offers us so we won’t be lacking in our faith, but overflowing in all that is good. Make today a great day, because God is at work in you to accomplish His goal of salvation for you. God bless.