Welcome to this daily encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

I'm Kirsten Holmberg, and I called today's devotion, encouragement in Christ.

An Indianist schoolteacher teacher suggested that her students write notes of encouragement and inspiration for their

peers. Days later, when a school tragedy occurred in a different part of the country,

their notes buoyed the spirits of their fellow students as they dealt with the resulting fear and

pain that something could happen to them too.

Encouragement and mutual concern were also on Paul's mind when he wrote to the believers at

Thessalonica. They had lost friends, and Paul instructed them to hope in Jesus' promised return

to bring their loved ones to life again.

While they didn't know when that would occur, he reminded them that as believers,

they needn't wait in fear of God's judgment when he returned. Instead, they could wait in confidence

in their future life with him, and meanwhile, encourage

one another and build each other up. When we experience painful losses or senseless tragedies,

it's easy to be overcome with fear and sadness.

Yet Paul's words are helpful to us today, just as when they were written.

Let's wait in hopeful expectation that Christ will restore all things.

And meanwhile, we can encourage each other with written notes, spoken words, acts of service,

or a simple hug.

Today's Our Daily Bread Devotional Scripture reading is from First Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 4 through 11. But you, brothers and sisters,

are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children

of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others who are asleep,

but let us be awake and sober.

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