Messengers Approved by God – Greg Laurie Devotion – June 20, 2026

Biblical Context

The book of 1 Thessalonians is one of Paul’s earliest letters, written around A.D. 50-51, likely from Corinth during his second missionary journey. Paul, along with Silas and Timothy, had founded the church in Thessalonica, a major port city in Macedonia. The church there faced tough opposition from the start. Paul wrote this letter to encourage the believers, clear up misunderstandings about his ministry, and give them practical instructions for living out their faith. He wanted to strengthen them in their stand for Jesus, especially concerning His return and how they should live until then. This letter shows us Paul’s deep care for new believers and his heart for teaching them solid truth.

Key Word Study

Let’s look at the word ‘entrusted’ from our main verse, 1 Thessalonians 2:4. In Greek, this word is pistōthēnai (πιστωθῆναι). It means to be made trustworthy, to be believed, or to be committed with confidence. It carries the weight of something precious being handed over for safekeeping, because the one receiving it is seen as faithful and reliable. When Paul says they were ‘entrusted’ with the Good News, he’s saying God saw them as worthy and dependable stewards of this incredible message, giving them a serious and sacred job to do.

Our Sacred Trust: The Gospel Message

As believers, you and I carry something incredibly special: the gospel message. Jesus Himself handed us this sacred trust. He gave us a clear command, saying, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15–16 NLT). Think about it: this isn’t just a suggestion. It’s a direct order from Jesus. This responsibility of sharing His Good News with others? It’s a worthwhile cost of following Christ. Every single believer is called to do it. Every Christian has the task of getting the gospel message out to those who don’t know it yet.

Entrusted by God Himself

The apostle Paul also understood this sacred trust deeply. In his letter to Timothy, he speaks of “the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11 NLT). He’s saying God personally gave him this message to care for and share. He brings up this idea again in 1 Thessalonians 2:4, our verse for today: “For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts” (NLT). This means we’re not just repeating words; we’re carrying God’s own message, and our main aim is to make Him happy, not to win approval from others. He’s the one who really knows why we do what we do.

Your Personal Question: How Are You Sharing?

Here’s what this all boils down to for you. As Christians, we all share the same gospel. It’s unchanging. The big question each of us must ask is, “How am I getting the gospel out?” It really doesn’t matter how other people are doing it. That’s their job. What matters is what you’re doing. This is your personal call as a follower of Jesus, and you can’t just ignore it. Too much rides on your obedience. We need to look at the people in our lives—our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and everyone else in our circle—and really ask, “Am I getting the gospel out to these people in a way that’s clear, easy to understand, and really gets to them?”

Rewards for Your Diligence

Jesus watches exactly how hard you work at carrying out this sacred responsibility. He tells us in the last chapter of the New Testament, “Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds” (Revelation 22:12 NLT). This isn’t just some vague idea. That reward will be directly tied to how faithful you are in this life. Often, we focus too much on just this life. We act as if everything important happens right here, right now. Of course, many big things do happen in this life. The most important choice you’ll ever make happens here: what you decide to do with Jesus Christ. But you can’t let the things of this life pull your attention away from your duty concerning the next life.

The Urgency of Our Mission

Paul showed us how urgent our mission is so well when he wrote, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15 NLT). You can see the chain reaction there. It all starts with someone telling them. Your faithfulness here will lead to rewards there—in Heaven, and when Heaven comes to earth, when you go home for good. Think about what faithfulness to the gospel message looks like in your life today. What step can you take?