Strength for the Journey: Living Faithfully While Waiting

In the Field Audio Bible: 04:55
The reed pen touches parchment once more. You watch as Paul dips it deliberately into the inkwell. A small clay vessel, its contents dark as midnight, and the familiar scratch of quill on papyrus fills the workshop. The sound is almost rhythmic, almost meditative. Yet there is an urgency beneath it that you have come to recognize. Outside, Corinth stirs toward dawn. It's late autumn, and the harbor district never truly sleeps. But the night watch has passed, and the city holds its breath in that liminal space between darkness and light. You can hear the creak of merchant ships settling in the harbor, the distant calls of fishermen preparing their nets, the occasional shout from the taverns that line the waterfront, places where men still worship at the altars of wine and flesh, unaware of the God who calls them to something higher. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 07:36
The workshop smells of lamp oil, papyrus, and ink - a scent that has become as familiar to you as your own breath. The walls are bare stone, cold to the touch, and the single oil lamp casts long shadows across the wooden table where you sit. Your back aches from hours on the wooden stool. Your fingers are stained with ink, deep purple black that won't wash out for days. Your eyes burn from straining in the lamplight. But neither you nor Paul moves. There is too much at stake. Too many souls are waiting in Thessalonica for these words. Too much depends on getting this right. Paul pauses, his eyes fixed on what he has just written. The final words of this letter. They still glisten wet on the parchment. Therefore, encourage one another with these words. Paul sets down his pen with deliberate care and leans back against the cold stone wall, his shoulders sagging slightly - not from weakness, but from the weight of pouring out his very soul into these letters. You study his face in the lamplight. The lines around his eyes are deeper than they were months ago. His beard, once dark, is now streaked with silver. There are scars on his temples, marks from the stones thrown at him in Lystra years ago. His hands, resting on the table, are callused from decades of tent making, marked with the small cuts and burns of his trade. But there are other marks too. The faint white lines where chains have rubbed his wrists, the discoloration on his left shoulder where a Roman guard's whip left its permanent signature. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 09:54
This man has been beaten for the gospel, imprisoned, driven from cities by angry mobs, and yet, night after night, he sits in this cold workshop and writes letters to churches he may never see again. Do you know what they are afraid of? Paul asks suddenly. His voice quiet but urgent. It's an invitation. The kind he always extends to you, drawing you into the depths of his thinking rather than simply lecturing at you. You shift on your stool, leaning closer. The Thessalonians? Yes. We taught them about the resurrection, about those who have fallen asleep in Christ. That they will not be left behind when he returns. We gave them hope. Paul's weathered face catches the lamplight, and you see something in his expression that you have come to recognize: the memory of opposition, of being driven from that city by angry mobs, of having to leave his flock in the hands of others while his heart remained with them. He was only in Thessalonica for three weeks. Three weeks to plant a church, to teach them, to disciple them, before the Jewish leaders stirred up a riot and forced him to flee in the night. Timothy and Silas remained behind for a time, but eventually they too had to leave. The burden of that separation, of leaving young, vulnerable believers to face persecution alone, has never left Paul's shoulders. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 11:58
But hope, he continues, his voice taking on that teaching quality that you know so well, can breed its own kind of anxiety. They wonder, when will he come? How will we know? What if we were not ready? What if we fall asleep before that day? You nod slowly. You have heard these questions before, in the letters that reach Paul through Timothy and Silas, in the whispered concerns of believers everywhere. The hope of Christ's return is glorious, yes. But it can also feel terrifying when you don't know the hour, especially when you are young in your faith, especially when you have just turned from idols and are still learning what it means to follow Jesus. They need more than hope, you say. They need direction; they need to know how to live now in this in-between time. Paul's eyes light up. Precisely. And that is what we must give them in this final chapter. Not fear, but vigilance, not anxiety, but readiness, not passivity, but active love for one another. Paul reaches for the parchment, studying the words he has already written about the resurrection and those who sleep and those who remain about the trumpet call and the clouds. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 13:41
The Thessalonians are young believers, he says, almost to himself. Many of them were pagans just months ago. They worshiped at the temples of Aphrodite and Poseidon. They participated in the mystery religions. They lived for pleasure, for status, for the approval of their neighbors. And then, suddenly, they encountered the living God through the gospel. They turned from idols to serve the living God. They have endured persecution from their own families, from their former friends. Some have lost their livelihoods because they refused to participate in pagan festivals or business practices that have violated their new faith. He pauses, letting the weight of this sink in. And now they are wondering, is this all there is? Suffering and waiting? We gave up everything for this Jesus, and he has not returned yet. How long must we endure? You ask, "What do you want them to understand?" Paul turns to you fully, and there's an intensity in his gaze that reminds you why this man has been willing to be beaten, imprisoned, and driven from city to city. Why does he continue to write these letters even when his body aches and his heart is heavy with concern for scattered churches? 

In the Field Audio Bible: 15:24
That the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night, that they cannot know the hour, but, and this is crucial, that they are not in darkness. They are children of light, children of the day. They have been given eyes to see, ears to hear, hearts to understand. Paul stands and begins to pace, his hands gesturing as he speaks. This is how Paul teaches, not from a seat of authority, but in conversation, in movement, in the passionate exchange of ideas. And you are invited to it, not as a passive listener, but as a fellow traveler in understanding the mysteries of God. In Thessalonica, Paul says, his voice taken on a note of concern. There are those who have begun to live carelessly. They think, if Christ is coming soon, why work? Why build? Why care for tomorrow? Why earn money or maintain our trades? Some have even stopped working entirely, becoming dependent on the generosity of others. They sit idle, and idleness breeds trouble. Gossip, meddling, spiritual laziness. Paul stops pacing and turns to face you directly. But there are others who have become so anxious about his return that they cannot function at all. They are paralyzed by fear. They neglect their families, their responsibilities, their own basic needs. They are so focused on watching for the clouds that they cannot see the people in front of them who need their love and care. Both extremes miss the truth. Which is, you prompt, sensing he is building towards something important. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 17:42
That we live as though he is coming today, with watchfulness, with sobriety, with faith, with our lamps trimmed and burning, but we also live as though he is not coming for a thousand years. We work. We build. We love. We encourage. We grow. We remain faithful in the small things, the daily things, the unglamorous things. Paul stops pacing and looks directly at you, his eyes blazing with conviction. The day of the Lord will come. But until it does, we have work to do. We have people to love.  We have a gospel to live out in front of a watching world. You feel the weight of this truth settle over you like a mantle. It's not a contradiction, you realize. It's a paradox—one that requires both vigilance and peace, both urgency and patience, both hope and responsibility. It's the tension that defines the Christian life in every age.
There's something else, Paul says, returning to his seat. He picks up his pen again, turning it over in his hands with the familiarity of someone who has held a writing instrument for decades. Something that troubles me deeply about the reports Timothy has brought. You lean forward. Timothy, who was with Paul in Thessalonica and then sent back to strengthen and encourage the church, has recently returned to Corinth with news. Some of it has been encouraging. But some of it has clearly weighed on Paul's heart.

In the Field Audio Bible: 19:55
The Thesalonians have begun to fragment, Paul says quietly. Some are looking down on those who are weaker in faith. Some are becoming proud of their own spiritual maturity, their own understanding of the end times. They are beginning to judge others, to separate themselves from those they deem less spiritual. And some, the idle ones I mentioned, are neglecting those who are struggling. They are so caught up in their own concerns, their own waiting, that they have forgotten the command to bear one another's burdens. His voice carries a note of pain. This is not abstract theology to Paul. These are his people, his spiritual children, and they are hurting each other. And you want to call them back to unity, you ask.I want to call them back to love, Paul corrects gently. Real love. The kind that looks at a struggling brother or sister and sees not a failure, but a fellow traveler who needs support. He dips his pen in the ink again, and you can see his hands trembling slightly. Whether from emotion or from the cold of the workshop, you are not sure. They are a body, you see. One body in Christ. And a body cannot function if its members are at war with one another. A body cannot move forward if some of its parts are despising other parts. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 21:46
You watch as he begins to write, the words flowing from his heart onto the parchment with a kind of urgency that makes your own pulse quicken. This is the final chapter of the letter. These are the last words he will send to the church he planted and was forced to abandon. Everything he has taught them about holiness, about love, about the resurrection, about living in a way that pleases God now culminates in this final exhortation. How to live, how to wait, how to love one another while watching for the return of their Lord. Listen, Paul says, pausing mid-sentence and looking up at you. Hear what I am about to write as though you are sitting in that house church in Thessalonica. You have been beaten for your faith. You have lost friends and family members who rejected Christ and rejected you for following him. You are uncertain about the future. You are wondering if you have the strength to endure. You are anxious about whether you will be ready when Christ returns. You're tired, you're discouraged, and then this letter arrives. Paul sets down his pen and meets your eyes with an intensity that seems to pierce through to your very soul. What would you need to hear?  What words would anchor your soul in that moment? You sit with the question for a long moment. That I'm not alone, you finally say. That God hasn't forgotten me. That my suffering does matter. That there is a purpose to this waiting. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 23:49
Paul nods slowly. Yes. And more than that, that I have a role to play. That I am not just a passive victim waiting for rescue. That I have work to do, people to love, a community to build up, that my faithfulness in the small things, in how I treat my neighbor, and how I work and how I encourage others, it matters eternally. He continues writing, and you lean in, watching the words take shape on the parchment. Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you, for you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. He's speaking directly to their anxiety. You whisper, he's acknowledging it, but not dismissing it. Yes, Paul says without looking up, his pen continuing its steady scratch across the parchment. But not to dismiss it, to redirect it, to show them that their vigilance, their watchfulness, these are not signs of weakness or lack of faith. They are signs of wisdom. They are the natural response of those who understand what is at stake. They are the mark of those who truly believe. He pauses and looks at you again. You see, the Thessalonians already know that Christ is coming. They don't need me to convince them of that. What they need is to understand how to live in light of that knowledge, how to be watchful without being anxious, how to be ready without being idle, how to love one another in the midst of uncertainty. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 25:51
The lamp burns steadily. The parchment fills with words. And in this moment, sitting beside the Apostle Paul in a cold workshop in Corinth, you understand something profound. That the words being written here are not just for the Thessalonians of the first century, they are for every believer in every age who has ever wondered how to live faithfully in the tension between the already and the not yet. Between the promise and the fulfillment, between hope and reality, between the call to watchfulness and the call to work, between the longing for Christ's return and the responsibility to love those around us today. Are you ready? Paul asked, setting down his pen and meeting your eyes once more. You nod. You are ready to hear what he has to say about watchfulness and sobriety, about the armor of faith and love and hope, about the God who calls us to encourage one another and build one another up. You are ready to sit with the Thessalonians in their uncertainty and discover with them that the day of the Lord is not something to fear, but something to prepare for, to live toward, to embrace with open hearts and faithful hands. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 27:20
You are ready to hear how a scattered, anxious, fragmented church can be called back to unity, to love, to purpose. You are ready to understand that the Christian life is not about waiting passively for the end, but about living actively, faithfully, lovingly until that end comes. Paul picks up his pen once more. The work continues, the hope endures, and somewhere in Thessalonica, believers are about to receive words that will anchor their souls and steady their hearts for whatever comes next. Words that will echo through centuries, speaking to the hearts of all who wonder how to live faithfully in this in-between time. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 28:12
Now, let's take a moment to quiet our hearts and listen to the word itself. Let these words sink deep into your spirit, bringing comfort, conviction, and encouragement. Whether you're sitting in a quiet place or out in the world, allow scripture to meet you right where you are. I hope you have your favorite cup of tea or coffee. Sit back, relax, and let's step into the sacred text of The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 5. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 29:10
The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 5 (NRSV): 

 1 Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. 

 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 

 3 When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! 

 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 

 5 for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 

 6 So, then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober, 

 7 for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. 

 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober and put on the breastplate of faith and love and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 

 9 For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 

10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with Him. 

11 Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. 

12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 

13 esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 

14 And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 

15 See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 

16 Rejoice always, 

17 pray without ceasing, 

18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 

20 Do not despise prophecies, 

21 but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 

22 abstain from every form of evil. 

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely, and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

24 The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 

25 Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 

26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 

27 I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers and sisters. 

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 32:23
The final words settle onto the parchment like seeds falling into fertile soil. You watch as Paul sets down his re pen with deliberate care, the ink still glistening wet in the lamplight. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. For a long moment, neither of you speaks. The workshop is silent except for the soft crackle of the oil lamp and the distant sounds of Corinth waking fully to the day. The sun has risen now, spilling golden light through the single window, illuminating the dust moats that dance in the air. The harbor is alive with activity, merchants shouting prices, sailors calling to one another in a dozen languages, the creak and groan of cargo being loaded onto ships bound for distant ports. But in this small stone room, time seems to stand still. Paul leans back against the wall, his shoulders sagging with exhaustion and relief. His hands are stained with ink, dark purple, black smudges that mark his fingers and palms like the marks of his calling. His eyes are red-rimmed from hours of straining in the lamplight, but there is a piece in his expression that wasn't there when you began. It is finished, he says quietly, almost to himself. Then he looks at you, and a faint smile touches his weathered face. The letter to the Thessalonians, it is complete. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 34:24
You look down at the parchment spread across the table. Five chapters of teaching, exhortation, encouragement, and love. Five chapters that begin with thanksgiving and end with blessing. Five chapters that will travel from this workshop in Corinth to a small house church in Thessalonica, where believers will gather to hear these words read aloud, to be reminded of who they are and how they are called to live. Paul reaches for a piece of cloth and begins to carefully blot the wet ink. His movements practiced, imprecise. Now we wait for the ink to dry. Then we roll the parchment, seal it, and entrust it to a messenger who will carry it to Thessalonica. Timothy, perhaps. Or Silas, someone the church knows and trusts. He pauses, studying the words he has written with the intensity of a craftsman examining his work. And then we pray that the Holy Spirit will use these words to strengthen them, to encourage them, to call them back to the hope and love and faithfulness they first embraced when they heard the gospel. You watch as he continues to blot the ink, working his way methodically through the final chapter. Outside, the sounds of the city grow louder: the clatter of cartwheels on stone streets, the bleating of goats being driven to market, the rhythmic pounding of a blacksmith's hammer somewhere in the distance. Corinth is a city of commerce and chaos, across roads where the east meets west, where cultures and religions collide and intermingle. It's a city not unlike Thessalonica in many ways. Bustling, diverse, morally complex, full of both opportunity and danger for those who follow Christ. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 36:45
Do you think they'll understand, you ask? Everything you have written in this final chapter? About watchfulness and sobriety? About encouraging one another and building each other up? About respecting their leaders and living at peace? Paul sets down the cloth and looks at you with those penetrating eyes that seem to see straight through to your soul. Some will understand immediately, others will need time, some will embrace these words with joy, others will resist them because they challenge the way they have been thinking. Paul picks up the parchment carefully, holding it up to the light from the window, as if to examine every word, every line, every letter. He sets the parchment down again and begins to roll it slowly, his calloused fingers gentle with the fragile material. The Thessalonians are young believers. They are still learning what it means to follow Jesus in a world that does not understand them, that persecutes them, that wants them to conform to its values and priorities. They are struggling with questions about the end times and how to live in the tension between the now and the not yet. They are dealing with division and judgment and idleness and anxiety. He pauses, the partially rolled parchment in his hands. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 38:21
But they are also children of light. Children of the day. They have been called out of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ. And that calling, that identity, it changes everything. It means that they are not destined for wrath, but for salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. It means they have the Spirit of God dwelling within them, empowering them to live in ways that please God. It means they are part of a body, a family, a community that is called to love one another, to bear one another's burdens, to encourage and build up and strengthen each other. You feel the weight of his word settling over you like a mantle. This is not just about the Thessalonians, you realize. This is about every believer in every age who has ever struggled with the same questions, the same fears, the same tensions. How do we live faithfully when we don't know when Christ will return? How do we balance watchfulness with daily responsibility? How do we love one another when we are all broken and struggling and imperfect? Will you write to them again? You ask. Paul finishes rolling the parchment and reaches for a length of cord to tie it. Perhaps, he says thoughtfully, if the Lord wills it, if they need further instruction or encouragement, if new challenges arise that require a pastoral response. He ties the cord around the rolled parchment with practiced efficiency, then reaches for a lump of wax to seal it. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 40:17
But for now, this letter is complete. It says what needs to be said. It addresses the concerns Timothy brought back. It reminds them of the gospel they received and the calling they embraced. It exhorts them to live in a manner worthy of the God who calls them into his own kingdom and glory. Paul holds the wax over the flame of the oil lamp, watching it soften and begin to drip. Then, with careful precision, he lets several drops fall onto the cord, sealing the parchment closed. The wax is deep red, the color of wine or blood, and as it hardens, Paul presses his signet ring into it. A simple seal that marks this letter as authentically from him. There, he says, setting the sealed scroll aside, it is ready to travel. You look at the scroll, so small, so ordinary in appearance, and yet containing words that will echo through the centuries, words about faith, hope, and love, words about watchfulness and sobriety, words about community and mutual encouragement, words about the God who is faithful, who will sanctify his people completely, who will surely bring to completion the work he has begun. Paul stands slowly, his joints stiff from hours of sitting, and walks to the window. He stands there for a moment, looking out at the bustling streets of Corinth, at the people hurrying past, merchants and slaves, sailors and soldiers, philosophers and prostitutes, all caught up in the daily rhythms of life in a Roman city. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 42:30
Do you know what I pray for them? He asked without turning around. The Thessalonians, I mean. You join him at the window, following his gaze out into the crowded street. What do you pray? That the God of peace Himself would sanctify them completely, that their whole spirit and soul and body would be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul turns to look at you, and there are tears in his eyes, tears of love, of longing, of hope. I pray that they would know deep in their bones that the one who calls them is faithful, that he will do it, that he will complete the work he has begun in them. His voice breaks slightly, and he pauses to steady himself. I pray that they would rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, that they would not quench the spirit or despise prophecies, but would test everything and hold fast to what is good, that they would abstain from every form of evil. He wipes his eyes with the back of his hand, leaving a faint smudge of ink on his cheek. I pray that they would love one another well, that they would encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone, that they would not repay evil for evil, but would always seek to do good to one another and to everyone, that they would respect those who labor among them and are over them in the Lord, and admonish them, and esteem them very highly and love because of their work. He turns back to the window, his voice growing stronger, more passionate. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 44:43
I pray that they would live quietly, mind their own affairs, work with their hands, so that they may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. I pray that they would not grieve as others do who have no hope, but would remember that Jesus died and rose again, and that God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. And I pray, he said softly, that when the day of the Lord comes, whether it comes like a thief in the night or whether they live to see it openly, they will be found ready. Not because they are perfect, but because they are clothed in the armor of faith and love, with the hope of salvation as a helmet. Not because they have earned it, but because God has not destined them for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for them, so that whether they are awake or asleep, they might live with Him. The room falls silent again. You can hear your own heartbeat, steady and strong. You can hear the distant sounds of the city, life continuing, people going about their own business, unaware that in this small workshop, words have been written that will change the world. It's beautiful. You whisper what you've written, what you've prayed for them. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 46:35
Paul turns to you with a tired smile. It is not my beauty, it is the beauty of the gospel, the beauty of a God who loves his people so much that he sent his son to die for them. The beauty of a savior who rose from the dead and promised to return. The beauty of a spirit who dwells within us, transforming us from the inside out, making us into the people we were always meant to be. Paul walks back to the table and picks up the sealed scroll, holding it carefully in both hands. This letter will travel to Thessalonica. It will be read aloud in a house church, probably in the home of Jason, who welcomed us when we first arrived in that city. The believers will gather, men and women, slaves and free, Jews and Gentiles, and they will listen as someone reads these words. And as they listen, the Holy Spirit will speak to their hearts. He will comfort those who need comfort, he will challenge those who need challenge. He will convict those who need conviction. He will encourage those who need encouragement. Paul sets the scroll down gently, as if it were a living thing. And perhaps, he continues, in time, I will hear back from them. Perhaps Timothy will return with news that they have received the letter with joy, that they have taken its words to heart, that they are growing in faith and love and hope. Or perhaps I will hear that they still struggle, that they still have questions, that they need further instruction and encouragement. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 48:44
He looks at you with an expression that is both weary and hopeful. If that is the case, I will write to them again. I will continue to shepherd them from a distance, to pray for them, to pour out my heart for them until either I am able to visit them in person or until the Lord calls me home because that is what love does. It perseveres, it endures, it never gives up. Outside, a church bell rings, one of the few Christian communities in Corinth calling believers to morning prayer. The sound is clear and bright, cutting through the noise of the marketplace. A reminder that even in this pagan city, there are those who follow Jesus, who gather to worship him, who seek to live as children of light in the midst of darkness. Paul walks to the door of the workshop and opens it, letting in the full sounds and smells of the city, the scent of fresh bread from a nearby bakery, the acrid smell of smoke from cooking fires, the tank of salt from the harbor, the earthy smell of animals and unwashed bodies, and spilled wine. It's overwhelming and intoxicating all at once. This sensory assault that is life in a first-century Roman city. Come, Paul says, gesturing for you to join him. Let us take this letter to Timothy, and then let us go to the gathering of believers here in Corinth. We have much to be thankful for and much to pray about. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 50:34
You step out into the street beside him, the sealed scroll tucked carefully under his arm. The sun is warm on your face, the air alive with the sounds of commerce and conversation. People brush past you, a woman carrying a basket of fish, a man leading a donkey laden with pottery, a group of children playing some game involving stones and laughter. As you walk through the crowded streets, Paul begins to speak again, his voice thoughtful. You know, the Thessalonians are not the only ones who struggle with these questions. Every church I have planted, every community of believers I have shepherded faces similar challenges. How do we live faithfully in a world that doesn't share our values? How do we love one another well when we are all broken and imperfect? How do we remain watchful and ready for Christ's return without becoming anxious or idle? How do we encourage one another and build each other up in the midst of persecution and suffering? Paul pauses to let a cart pass, then continues walking. These are not easy questions, and the answers are not always simple, but the foundation is always the same. Faith in Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, hope in his promised return, love for God and for one another, and the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to live in ways that please God, even when it's difficult, even when it costs us everything. You walk in silence for a few moments, processing his words, feeling the weight and the beauty of them settling into your heart. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 52:40
What will you do next? You ask? After you send this letter to Thessalonica? Paul smiles, a weary but genuine expression of joy. I will continue the work God has given me. I will preach the gospel here in Corinth. I will shepherd the believers in this city. I will write letters to other churches that need encouragement or instruction. I will pray without ceasing for all the churches under my care, and I will wait on the Lord's timing for whatever comes next whether that means traveling to new cities to plant new churches or revisiting old churches to strengthen them, or even suffering imprisonment or death for the sake of the gospel. He stops walking and turns to face you fully. His expression serious and tender at the same time. But whatever comes, I will do it with joy because I know that the one who has called me is faithful. I know that he who began a good work in me will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. I know that whether I live or die, I belong to him. And that is enough. That is more than enough. The church bells ring again. A second call to prayer. Paul adjusts the scroll under his arm and begins walking again. His pace quickening slightly. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 54:25
Come, he says. Let us not be late. The brothers and sisters are waiting, and we have much to give thanks for. We have a letter completed. We have a gospel to proclaim. We have a savior who loves us and died for us and rose again. We have the hope of his return. We have the presence of his spirit. We have one another. Paul glances back at you with a smile that transforms his weathered face. We have everything we need to live faithfully, to love well, to encourage one another, and to build each other up. And that, my friend, is the heart of everything I have written to the Thessalonians. That is the message they need to hear. That is the message we all need to hear in every generation until the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns and makes all things new. You follow Paul through the winding streets of Corinth, past the marketplace and the temples, past the workshops and the homes, toward the place where believers gather. And as you walk, you carry with you the words Paul has written: words about faith and hope and love, about watchfulness and sobriety, about community and encouragement, about the God who is faithful and will surely complete the work he has begun. The letter to the Thessalonians is finished, but the story is far from over. Because even now, as a sealed scroll rests under Paul's arm, God is already at work in Thessalonica. He is preparing hearts to receive these words. He is strengthening believers to live them out. He is calling people, his people, to be the children of light, to encourage one another, to build each other up, to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 56:37
And in time, perhaps sooner than anyone expects, there will be more to say, more questions to answer, more encouragement to give, more challenges to address. But for now, in this moment, walking through the streets of Corinth with the Apostle Paul, you understand something profound: that the words written on that parchment are not just ancient history, they are living words, spoken by the Spirit of God, relevant for every generation, calling all who hear them to faith, hope, and love. The church bell rings a third time, and Paul quickens his pace. Come, he says again, his voice filled with anticipation. Let us go and give thanks. For the Lord is faithful and his grace is with us all. And as you follow him into the gathering of believers, you carry with you the echo of his final words to the Thessalonians. Words that will resonate through the centuries. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 

In the Field Audio Bible: 57:59
Thank you for joining me today as we journeyed through The First Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 5. I pray that you carry these reflections with you into your day, into your week, and that you find strength in knowing God is with you in every trial, every temptation, and every step of obedience. If this time in God's word has encouraged you, take a moment to share it with someone who might need it. And be sure to join me next time as we continue walking through the scriptures, learning, growing, and staying faithful in the field of life. Until next time, may you find peace in the quiet, trust in God's call, and rest in his unchanging love. 

This is In the Field Audio Bible, where we Listen to the Bible One Chapter at a Time.