…and give relief to you who are troubled…
2 Thessalonians 1:7 NIV
Relief
After weeks of sky-high gas prices this past April, drivers found some relief at the pumps as the federal fuel excise tax was temporarily suspended. In Montreal, the effect was immediate, with an overnight drop in average prices from around $1.86 per litre to $1.78 per litre. Still, the reduction was less than the 10 cents per litre that had been forecast. Across Quebec at the time, average gas prices fell from under $1.88 per litre to about $1.82.
***
There are moments when the weight of the world seems to press in from every side. Responsibilities, disappointments, and even injustice can leave the heart weary. Into that very space, the words of 2 Thessalonians 1:7 speak with quiet strength: “…give relief to you who are troubled…” How good is our God to promise relief. This is not the hurried relief we try to manufacture by fixing everything ourselves. Nor is it the temporary escape we sometimes reach for just to get through the day. No, this is God’s relief—steady, certain, and perfectly timed. It reminds us that He sees every burden we carry, every silent struggle, every long night. Notice, too, that this promise is rooted in the return of Christ. Our hope is not anchored in changing circumstances, but in a coming Saviour. One day, all wrongs will be made right. All heaviness will give way to peace. Until then, we walk by faith. So today, take a quiet moment. Place your burdens in Jesus’ hands again. Relief is not just coming—it has already begun in the presence of the One who promises to never leave us or forsake us.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley