"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" (2 Thess. 1:11,12).

It is marvelous how much the Scriptures can reveal in a few sentences. This passage, for instance, shows us not only God's plan for our lives, but the result if this plan is followed, and then the means God uses to help us to conform to His plan. The calling, of which the apostle prayed that the Thessalonians might be worthy, was their calling as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. They showed that they were worthy by their patience and faith under persecution, as recorded in the fourth verse of this chapter, "We ourselves glory in you.. .for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure." It reminds us of Peter and John in Acts 5:41, who, after they had been beaten for their faithful testimony, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. When we think of the high calling of God which we have in Christ Jesus can we truthfully say that by His grace we are trying to walk worthily of that high calling? Are we faithfully witnessing to the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord, whenever the way is opened for us to do so?

Next, we see that God has a purpose for each one of us. He will fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness in us and through us, if we yield ourselves wholly to Him. He will fulfil the work of faith with power. The Thessalonians' outward working of their faith was their witness to their Lord in spite of persecutions. God gave power to their act of faith. Their loyalty to their Saviour may have been the means of drawing many others to Him. In 1 John 5:4 we read, "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." If we live a life of faith God will supply the power.

In the twelfth verse we have the blessed results which follow true consecration to God. The name of our Lord Jesus Christ will be glorified in us. Is not that wonderful ? God counting us worthy to glorify His Name ! Truly, ours is a high calling! How humble we should be, how dependent on Him, that we may not do anything to dishonor that Name but always bring glory to it. We read further that we will be glorified in Him. As we grow in likeness to Christ, as we reckon ourselves dead and live unto Him, we will be glorified in Him. When Christ occupies the chief place in a believer's heart something of Christ's glory is revealed through that believer's life. Wonderful grace of God that He should be willing to show forth His glory through us. It is this grace that enables us to persevere in this high calling. His grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ… to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:3,6). E. W. Carlile