November 25 THE LOVER AND CONSOLATION "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts" (2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17, NKJV). Christ's supreme love and tender solicitude for His people are beautifully portrayed in this Pauline benediction. We are secure in the gospel because Jesus Christ Himself, in concert with the Father, has loved us and given us eternal consolation and good hope. The three powerful incentives for holding fast to the gospel are love, consolation, and hope. In our Christian pilgrimage we have the blessed assurance that Jesus Christ Himself has loved us, that His consolation is everlasting, and that the hope He has given us is no vague anticipation, but a genuine and reliable hope. The "good hope" as it is described here is the hope of redemption and the final possession of the eternal inheritance at Christ's glorious appearing. The Greek verb form translated, has loved us, is a clear reference to a specific historical event. It spotlights "God's unique act of love in giving His Son a sacrifice for our sins, and the self-denying act of our Saviour in giving Himself. (John 3:16; Titus 2:14)."--The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 276. Calvary is the supreme manifestation of love and the sure basis of consolation and genuine hope. Jesus Christ is the lover and consolation of His redeemed people. We can rest assured that He will keep the blessed hope of His glorious appearing ever glowing in our hearts until that day. "We are pilgrims and strangers who are waiting, hoping, and praying for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If we believe this and bring it into our practical life, what a vigorous action would this faith and hope inspire; what fervent love one for another; what careful holy living for the glory of God."--Maranatha, p. 15. My Prayer Today: Lord, because you have loved me and given me everlasting consolation, I can face tomorrow unafraid. Amen.