2 minute read.
Daily Reading: Jeremiah 22:1-23:20 ESV, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-12 ESV, Psalm 83:1-18 ESV, Proverbs 25:11-14 ESV
Daily Verse: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” (2 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV)
ADELPHOS (80): “Denotes a brother, or near kinsman; in the plural, a community based on identity of origin of life.”[1]
Near kinsman.
Having four biological brothers, they come to mind first when thinking about this word. But Paul’s referring to our spiritual siblings, fellow believers in Christ. You can have both.
2.38 billion[1] people practice Christianity in the world today. As believers, we have a vast family with siblings of all nationalities. When you meet a brother in Christ, you instantly connect spiritually.
Family recognition.
Think of the last time you met a fellow believer in the world. Maybe at a gas station, a random conversation led to Jesus. Or possibly the nurse at the doctor’s office mentioned faith, and you instantly bonded. Nothing makes me smile more than instant praise parties when you meet a brother in Christ.
When I meet a sibling in Christ, we always end up praising Him. Maybe something minor happens, or perhaps not so small, but we find something to thank God for at the moment. Like our tenth wedding anniversary, when we met a couple celebrating their 37th on the same day. We rejoiced about our marriages, and each year God gave us together.
Following Jesus sometimes seems like a lonely journey, but don’t fall for the lie. Brothers in Christ live all over the world; when you seek, you shall find. Thankfully, in America, we can worship freely and find siblings in the faith without too much effort. Many in the world don’t have the luxury we do in the U.S.
Journeying through life with other believers makes the trip better. Pain and suffering come with life, but so does support. God adopted us into His family, which has billions of members. Remind the devil of the facts when he tries to trick you into believing otherwise.
[1] Strong, J., & Strong, J. (2010). The New Strong’s expanded exhaustive concordance of the Bible. Greek Dictionary of the New Testament (p. 5) Thomas Nelson
[1] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-christian-countries
