1 Thessalonians 5:18-22 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

As I related to you yesterday the Lord saved me yet again. So what is it I am to do now? Or any of us for that matter. This was part of my bible reading during my hospital stay. I believe they are every day instructions for all of us.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Paul’s second epistle to the Thessalonians comes the inevitable results of following the will of God. The instructions we are given are with purpose as are all of God’s plans. If we but follow the instructions given to us, God will accomplish the rest. The work of faith with power is God’s purview.

We release God’s faith with power through obedience to our calling in Christ. We cannot leave that up to another to perform, it is why God called you in Christ.

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Yes where sin exist grace abounds more but do not use the grace of God as an excuse towards disobedience.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.

1 Chronicles 23:30 And to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at even:

Give thanks to the Lord and praise Him every day, to have the day and to make it through the day.

I have been away from my devotionals for the past three days because the Lord saw fit to save me from pain and suffering. He perhaps even saw fit to save my life.

I did my last devotional and posted it Wednesday May 29^th 2019. Soon after that posting I began having chest pains. I did not thank God nor praised the Lord for the pain. It grew worse. At my wife’s urging we went to the emergency room.

The next morning I woke up concerned that I had not posted a devotional for the day. I opened up my bible app on my phone and I read two chapters in the New Testament. About 7 a.m. a cath lab tech came to switch out my IV because the one in my right hand was going to interfere with the doctor’s approach to my angiogram. He stuck me three times failing to hit a vein. It was painful.

I did not thank God nor praise the Lord for the pain.

They found a way to work around my IV and it was uncomfortable. Laying there strapped down like a prisoner, I was subjected to more pain, some of it very painful.

I did not thank God nor praise the Lord.

The doctor found 80% blockage of the Left Anterior Descending artery, nicknamed the Widow Maker. He performed an angioplasty and stinted the artery returning blood flow to 100%.

I thanked God and praised the Lord.

Each little pain led to the discovery and every other pain led to restoration of life giving blood.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Even the pain.