Daily Dose of Hope

January 21, 2026

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 2

Prayer: Lord, our Lord, How majestic is your name in all the earth! We magnify your precious and powerful name. How often we forget how mighty you are. You created all. You created us. Thank you, Lord, for who you are. Most of all, thank you for loving us with all our flaws and brokenness. In all we do, in who we are, help us to be more like you. We pray for humility, mercy, and compassion. Help us see others through your eyes. In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We have been journeying through Paul's letters chronologically and have now completed Galatians and I Thessalonians. We are now in 2 Thessalonians.

Today, we read 2 Thessalonians 2. In chapter one, Paul addresses the issue of persecution. In this chapter, he addresses false teaching. The Thessalonian church was highly concerned by teachers stating that Jesus had already come. It's possible other things had happened too to make them think this way. Maybe there was a natural disaster, a meteor shower, or bad omens. But it makes sense that human foul play was the main culprit. To make matters worse, these false teachers were claiming to have Paul's authority in the teaching. Paul tells them not to be "easily unsettled or alarmed," because none of it is true. Yes, judgement day will come but it hasn't come yet. Jesus will not return until certain things have occurred, a certain event must occur (the rebellion) and a certain man must appear (the man of lawlessness, possibly the antichrist).

The point of this chapter is not to make specific claims about the end of times but rather to prove to the Thessalonians that the day of the Lord, Jesus' second coming, had not yet arrived. It's obvious that Paul wants them to stand firm in the faith and not be so easily deceived. In verse 5, Paul asks them, Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? He is imploring them to remember the truth they were taught and live like mature believers, putting deep roots into truth. Basically, Thank God for his generous salvation, and don't worry about things above your security clearance. We aren't meant to know all the details and even if we did, this is something totally out of our control. This isn't a passive way to live, but one that clearly remembers who God is and that we belong to Him.

I often tell my kids to "remember who and whose they are." In some ways, I feel this is what Paul is telling the Thessalonians. Remember what I have taught you. Remember who you belong to. Don't allow the distractions and untruths of the world to get you off track or lead you astray.

Friends, how often do we forget who and whose we are? Think of a situation recently that shook your faith a bit or made you question something that you know deeply. How did you deal with that? What specific things do you do to remember who and whose you are? What do YOU do to ensure you stay rooted in the truth of your faith?

More tomorrow.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

January 20, 2026

Scripture: 2 Thessalonians 1

Prayer: Holy God, We come before you today distracted and with scattered thoughts. Help us focus, Lord, on you and your Word. Help us, in the next few moments, to be silent, still, and remember that you are God...Thank you, Lord, for your care and concern for our lives. Thank you for how you show up in amazing and unexpected ways! We give you glory, Lord Jesus. In Your Name, Amen.

Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We have been journeying through Paul's letters, and have now completed Galatians and I Thessalonians. Today, we start 2 Thessalonians.

Similar to 1 Thessalonians, this letter is also written by Paul, Timothy, and Silas, but scholars consider Paul to be the primary author. The letter opens in a similar manner as I Thessalonians, with Paul giving thanks for the Thessalonian church. He is especially grateful for how their faith and love for one another has grown despite persecution. He even says that he boasts about how they have persevered in the midst of such difficulty. He doesn't give specifics about the persecution, but we can guess it was hostility directed at Christians by both gentile nonbelievers and Jews.

Chapter 1 helps us begin to understand Paul's theology on the suffering of believers. First, he alludes to the fact that faithful endurance, perseverance in the face of struggle, makes them very worthy of the Kingdom of God. Certainly, endurance of hardship and persecution was seen as a virtue in early Christianity. What a change a couple thousand years make! At least in Western Christianity, we tend to balk at any kind of discomfort and certainly try to avoid suffering at all costs.

But their suffering does NOT mean that God isn't with them. Paul states that God's judgment is right. Temporary suffering doesn't indicate God's rejection; it may be character building or redeemed in some other way. God won't waste their experience but use it to grow them and the Kingdom. After all, that's what it's all about.

The second element in today's chapter is the concept of God's justice. God is all about just outcomes. He doesn't operate in a willy-nilly fashion but is fair and consistent. According to Paul, God considers it just to punish those who persecute the Thessalonians. This might be surprising to some, as we always focus on God's love. Yes, God is loving but God is also fair. Throughout Scripture, we read about God's righteous judgment. Knowing that God will judge others fairly frees us to simply extend love and grace and not feel the need to distribute our own judgment upon others.

I'll close with Paul's words in Romans 12:19-21, Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope

January 19, 2026

Scripture: I Thessalonians 5

Prayer: A prayer from Martin Luther King, Jr...

Thou Eternal God, out of whose absolute power and infinite intelligence the whole universe has come into being, we humbly confess that we have not loved thee with our hearts, souls and minds, and we have not loved our neighbors as Christ loved us. We have all too often lived by our own selfish impulses rather than by the life of sacrificial love as revealed by Christ. We often give in order to receive. We love our friends and hate our enemies. We go the first mile but dare not travel the second. We forgive but dare not forget. And so as we look within ourselves, we are confronted with the appalling fact that the history of our lives is the history of an eternal revolt against you. But thou, O God, have mercy upon us. Forgive us for what we could have been but failed to be. Give us the intelligence to know your will. Give us the courage to do your will. Give us the devotion to love your will. In the name and spirit of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that goes along with the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan. We are currently journeying through Paul's letters. Right now, we are walking through I Thessalonians.

Today, we read I Thessalonians 5. Paul is focusing on the end times not to scare people or bully people into accepting Jesus. Rather, these words were intended to provide comfort to his congregations. He is reiterating some of Jesus' teaching here – how the Lord's return will come like a thief in the night. Paul doesn't quote the Gospels directly but we can see here in this letter, that Jesus' teaching was part of Paul's teaching.

Paul tells them to be alert and sober. This would have been in contrast to many in the area. Dionysus, the god of wine, was worshiped in Thessalonica, and his late night parties were known for being wild and crazy events. The Thessalonians, then, needed to reject those false gods to serve the living God. In doing so, they will be children of the light/day, awake, alert, watchful.

Jesus' return and their identity as people of the light/day are intended to be words of encouragement to them. They have nothing to fear when the Lord comes but will actually excel even more. There is much to be excited for and they are to encourage one another with this hope.

This is fascinating to me. We don't typically encourage each other by remembering that Jesus will return. Unfortunately, popular media and Hollywood have made people, even Christians, afraid of Jesus' return. And we have nothing to be scared of! For the Thessalonians, this was the ultimate hope. It was a reminder that this world, and the persecutions and hardships they faced, were temporary. But they would eventually be with Jesus forever.

Does this give you hope? Why or why not?

Blessings,

Pastor Vicki