“For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep” (1 Thesalonians 4:15).

Those who are asleep will not be left behind, nor meet the Lord later than those who are alive.  Sometimes we worry so much about things that will never be in our control.  The Lord has all of this handled.  Know that the Lord has given His promises and will not fail.  Be led by the One who made you and know that He will hold you always in His arms.  Alive here and now or asleep, He has redeemed you.

Come into the Lord’s presence and live as one who knows that He has done, is doing and will do all that He has promised.  Let your faith be guided not by what you can understand, but by what the Lord says.  He who made the heavens and earth also made you.  Who knows but that all of what we call creation was not made in order that we might have the opportunity to live in the presence of the Lord forever.

Lord Jesus, God in the flesh, the One through whom all things were made and in whom all things have their being, lead me fully into Your arms of grace and mercy.  Guide me according to Your goodness so that I would be led by all that You teach and know the goodness of the salvation You have purchased from the cross.  Show me how, O Lord, now and always to walk according to Your word.  Amen.

“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:14).

Do you not know that you have been united with Christ?  You were united in His death in order to be united with Him in His resurrection.  You have also heard Jesus say that only the One who descends can ascend.  If we are united with Him then certainly we shall be resurrected with Him.  Come then and live in the true hope and blessed assurance which are yours in Christ.  Live knowing that He abides in you.

Lord, help me to abide in You as You abide in me.  Guide me in the way of everlasting life so that I would grow in wisdom and mature in assurance.  Lead me according to Thy Spirit in order that in all things I would learn to be gracious with others as You are gracious with me.  Help me learn how to put all these things together to become whom You are making me to be.

Lord Jesus, You have come to unite us with Yourself in order to infuse in us the godly life.  Help me today to apply these things willingly in my life and grow in Your goodness.  Lead me according to the Father’s will to live into the calling You have given me as I apply these precepts of which Paul spoke.  Through all things and by Your grace, help me to grow and mature so that I may live in the eternal hope which is mine in You.  Amen.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

How many times have you heard at a funeral, “Now they are an angel.”  Instead of being some kind of condolence, it is a lie that refutes what Scripture says.  We are not, nor will we ever be, angels.  The world grieves because it does not know.  It will settle for a false assurance.  You know that we were created to live into the image of Christ and become a child of God.  Therefore, do not settle for these worldly and lesser things, but put on the mind of Christ.

Lord, I hear these things so many times that I begin to repeat them myself.  Help me to mind my own business, but also hold me fast to what is right and true.  You have spoken truth and any part of what another says that is not true is a lie.  Help me to hold fast to the truth so that I may live into the image of Christ.  Help me to hold fast to the truth that in You is absolute hope and a future.

Lord Jesus, You have come to set us free from the captivity of this age.  In You there is hope, so that we will not remain trapped in the impossible situation of being good while being a sinner.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of true life so that I would trust in You alone and share with others the hope I have in You in order that they too may have the unalterable hope You give through grace in faith.  Amen.

“And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Such a simple sentence that says so much.  Be diligent, work for your own needs and stay out of other people’s business.  How much better we would all be if this were the case just in the church.  Of course, Paul means this as a part of the godly life and it is good advice.  Work on this so that you may learn the peace and quiet the Lord intends for your life.  Learn this so you will have the right attitude toward others.

Lord, this looks so easy, yet I find that I sometimes want others to do what I should do.  I sometimes poke into others business and let others do what I should be doing.  Teach me what it means to love You and my neighbor.  Teach me where to draw the line between remaining frugal and self-reliant versus being a part of the community and working together.  Teach me to not be in need but help others when I can.

Lord Jesus, while walking the earth You did these things.  Though You walked around, people came to You and, in one sense, not You to them.  You had all You needed and did not ask for things but gave to those in need.  Teach me how to properly behave toward You and others so that I may live the godly life You intend.  Lead me in the way You know I need to go and help me to go there.  Amen.

“Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10)

The Lord said that He would write the law on our hearts so that we need not be taught by anyone to love the Lord.  Indeed, the law is written on your heart.  Sadly, many ignore what has been written on their heart.  But you, listen to what the Lord says and no longer follow where you have been sinfully following, but listen to what He has written on your heart.  Seek first His righteousness and then all else will be added.

Lord, grant that I have discernment to know the difference between the heart in rebellion and what You have written on my heart.  Guide me in Your goodness to know the difference.  Lead me in the way of righteousness so that I may now and always be guided by You.  Help me to look to You as the source and norm of all goodness, knowing that Your grace is more than sufficient for me.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for guiding me in all goodness.  Help me to look to You as the model of the godly life and to follow Your lead.  The law has been written on my heart, so teach me how to listen in order that I may hear Your Word of command and obey You.  Through all things that come my way, lead me in the way of goodness and mercy all the days of my life until I see You face to face.  Amen.

“For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.  So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).

Listen carefully here.  Some in the body have said that we are freed by Christ so that the law no longer matters.  While it is true that no infraction of the law will once again condemn us and that Christ died for all our sins, this does not mean that we can continue with indiscretion and infidelity.  The Lord freed us from sin, death, and the devil, so do not take up with any of these again.

Lord, I still want to do things the way I want to do things.  Take this from me so that I would do things the way You want me to do them.  Guide me, Lord, in the right way of life that I may humbly walk with You all the days of my life.  Lead me in Your goodness to see that in You is all hope and a future.  In You alone, Lord, do I have my being.  Let me remain with You and be content.

Lord, You know all of the things that tug at me.  You know the struggles that I have.  Guide me now and always, Lord, to walk as one who believes that You have come to eternally set me free.  Lead me in the way of life so that I would now and forever be guided by You in the goodness You have demonstrated.  Lead me, Lord Jesus, and teach me to follow Your example always.  Amen.

“Not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you” (1 Thessalonians 4:5-6).

Do your passions rule you?  Our culture accentuates feelings and passion, but they can quickly become mindless emotions.  Do not be ruled by how you feel, but by what is right and fitting.  Do not go the way of the world which tells you to always do what feels good.  Go the way of the Lord which directs you to be good.  This is a clear and distinctive way in which others can know you belong to the Lord.

Lord, guide me in the better and eternal way of life.  I can easily follow my heart, my feelings, my passions, but it is not as easy to do what is right.  Lead me, Lord, in order that I may walk humbly with You, my Maker.  Guide me in the right way of living so that I may learn and practice all that You command.  O Lord, You know all that is needed.  Provide all I need so that I may walk with You.

Lord Jesus, I know this is not optional, but a part of what You have come to accomplish in this thing we call salvation.  Yet, I have my part.  Let me not follow the constant noise of this world, joining in their ideas of the pursuit of happiness.  Instead, lead me today and every day to take seriously the admonition You give to humbly walk in Your example and way.  Help me to begin again this day.  Amen.

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;  that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor” (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4)

The particularity of your struggle may differ, but the goal is the same, that you are in Jesus and that He is in you.  The Lord has come so that you may be sanctified in Him.  The Lord has come that You may have life and have it abundantly.  Come then into the life of sanctification and no longer give yourself away to things that are less important.  Live as one who is chaste in the Lord and loving Him above all things.

Lord, You know where I break the law and do not do these things that You ask.  Help me, O Lord, so that I may be guided by You and know Your eternal goodness.  Let me not fall into the temptation of this world but be transformed in and through You.  Lead me now and always in this direction.  Show me the path that I must follow.  Open my eyes to know the difference with what is being spoken here.

Lord Jesus, I know I need salvation and that You are the Savior.  Help my timidity and unbelief so that I see more clearly each day what is needed to build on this relationship which You have established.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are the way of truth, for you are Truth.  Lead me now and always in the way You know I need to go and help me always to follow.  Amen.

“For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 4:2).

You know the commandments and you know they come from Jesus.  Do you know Jesus?  This is not to ask if you know about Jesus, it is to ask if you know Jesus personally.  We tend to play games with what we do and do not know.  The Lord has revealed Himself so that we might know Him.  In Him is life.  Not just knowing about Him, but living in Him.  This is an intimate proposition that is the Gospel and it is salvation.

Lord, You know where I am and the games I play with myself.  This world is filled with pretense.  We are concerned with what others think.  Help me, O Lord, to see through the pretense and realize the depth, power, and reality of the Gospel.  Guide me, Lord, in the way of truth in order that I may now and always be guided by You and You alone to live into the Good News of great joy.

Lord Jesus, You have invited me to live in a relationship with You.  You said that I should abide in You and You in me.  Guide me, Lord, to do just this.  Help me to see Your desire and intent as I study the law, not seeing this as some test, but as the way of living in relationship with You.  Guide me Lord, for You know the way I need to go.  Let me not be hindered by this world but transformed by You.  Amen.

“Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:1).

Follow the instructions.  How simple is that?  Yet, what we often find is that the instructions are modified.  We question each step of the way as to why something should be as it is.  Why are we doing it that way?  Learn again to follow the instructions and if the Lord tells you to do something, receive it even if He says, “Because I said so.”  The Lord knows what He is doing.

Lord, I do not understand why I want to question everything.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may always be guided by You.  Help me when I do not follow instructions to follow where You lead.  Guide me, Lord, in order that each day I would become more like what You have always intended.  In Your goodness, lead me into all righteousness through and with You.

Without You, Lord Jesus, it would be impossible.  That is why I must be saved.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth.  You are Truth and Your word is truth.  Guide me, Word of life, so that I would take on Your image and become like You.  Help me to simply follow the instructions You give and not argue with You each step of the way.  Lead me now and forever, Lord God, so that I would fulfil Your design for me.  Amen.