Only Believe I Thessalonians 2:13

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.



"The Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." God's Word is more than true; it is the truth. You and I can take that truth and make it the foundation for our lives. The church at Thessalonica had done exactly that. This church did not just talk about the gospel; they practiced it. They took the Word of God and accepted it as such. Paul praised them for not accepting it as the words of men but as the truth. Truth is effective. Truth works wonders in our lives!

Jesus told new Jewish believers in John chapter 8, "If you abide in My Word, you are My disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." The Apostle Paul is saying pretty much the same thing again as he talks about the Word of God, "effectively working in you who believe."

The key to this precious promise is found in the last phrase, "you who believe." Here to believe is the same as the "abide" in Jesus' instruction. Belief dictates action. If I really believe something then my decisions will reflect that belief. We all believe something. We all have a basis for our decisions. The challenge that faces us all is what foundation are we going to build our lives upon?

The truth is when we build our lives on the truth of the Word of God, that truth works effectively in us. As we begin to base our decisions on the Word of God that Word begins to take have an impact on who we are and what we do. The Word of God is effective when it is practiced! It is not enough to just know the Word, we have to take hold of that Word and then let it take hold of us!

God wants your life to be its absolute best. He wants you to wake up with peace and joy in your heart. He wants you to prosper. He wants you to be "rich" as He blesses you and not necessarily as the world registers wealth. Big houses, expensive cars, designer clothes are nice and they have their place but a lot of people have made them their focus because the world says they are important. A lot of people have made those things the focus and the foundation of their lives and they have come up empty. A lot of folks are paying a very high cost for a lot of low living.

God wants us to make His Word the foundation of our lives and believe in Him so that He can effectively work in and through our lives as only He can do. Go back and look at the Old Testament and see how God provided for His people. See how He protected them and delivered them time and time again. He wants to do the same for you and me and promises to do so if we will just take His Word and take Him at His Word and only believe in Him as we abide in Him by letting His Word abide in us.