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Gardeners know that wind and rain can cause fragile trees to grow crooked. So they drive stakes next to young saplings to give them support. Later, the roots will get stronger and hold the tree steady. Just as young trees need support to stabilize them, so God’s people need support to withstand the winds of life. That was true for the young believers in ancient Thessalonica. It is why the Apostle Paul wrote to them. During his missionary efforts, they had come to faith in Christ. Now they were facing persecution, false teachers, peer pressure, and apathy. To encourage them, Paul reminded them that they belonged to God. He had chosen them from eternity, had redeemed them by the sacrifice of His Son, and had given them the Holy Spirit as their guide. He urged them never to let their ungodly culture drag them down; never water down the truth they received from him, never let their love toward God grow cold; and never let Satan trip them up by luring them away from a vital relationship with God. He urged them to guard the truth he had taught them, but equally important, to practice the truth day by day. He prayed that God would comfort and strengthen them in as they sought to live for Christ. Let Paul’s words to these believers encourage us to remain steadfast today.