Direct our hearts

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5  (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.’ 2 Thessalonians 3:5

As St. Paul draws his Second Letter to the Thessalonians towards its close, he asks his readers to pray for protection for his ministry. As he makes this prayer request, Paul paints a beautiful picture of God’s Word ‘spreading rapidly’ [literally ‘running’] and ‘being glorified’ (v.1). The picture here is of God’s Word, like an Olympic athlete, winning the Gold Medal. But Paul also sees that, in this race, God’s Word will face competition from other voices, who want airtime and attention for themselves.

As we approach Christmas, this can easily be true in our lives. God’s Word can be easily come second, behind the many distractions of the Christmas celebrations. Today’s reading invites us to make time to be quiet and to listen to God speak to us in his Word. More generally, our reading invites us to pray that God’s Word will ‘win the race’ and have first place everywhere this Christmastide.

As we read on, St. Paul tells us that when he pictures the Thessalonians, he has ‘confidence in the Lord’ (v.4). Paul trusts that the Lord will keep the Thessalonians safe and close to Himself. In our time today with God’s Word, here is also a prayer we can make our own – that God will keep us close to Himself throughout the day. May He direct our hearts today to His love and to the steadfastness of Christ.

To speak, as Paul does, of Jesus’ steadfastness is to speak of His hope-filled ‘staying power’ in the face of suffering. Most of all, Christ showed this steadfastness as He suffered for us at the cross.

As we look into the manger this Christmastide, and see the wonder of God having become an infant, so too we look to the cross, where we see the height and depth of God’s love for us.

Let us pray: Lord God, this Christmas, direct our hearts to the manger and the cross, that there we may see Jesus our Saviour and respond afresh to His love. Amen. 

The Rt Revd Joe Kennedy, Bishop of Burnley.