Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a You Tube video of Phillips, Craig, and Dean singing, … All Is Well, expressing how, no matter what we face, in Christ … ALL IS WELL!!
Highlight Passage: Philippians 1:21-23 [NKJV] …
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
… Living or dying was joy to Paul.
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Highlight Context – Philippians 1:12-26 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul could defeat fear, knowing that living was FOR Christ and dying was to be WITH Christ.
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Reference Passage #1 … Romans 8:28-31, 37-39 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Why would we fear ANYTHING?
Reference Passage #2 … 2nd Corinthians 5:6-8 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… In Christ we NEVER need fear … not even of death!!
Reference Passage #3 … Philippians 4:6-7 [NKJV] …
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
… If this is true - and it is!! - why would we Christians fear anything?
My Journal for Today: … Our Daily Bread author, Jennifer Schudt, reminded me with her own personal story (see ODB link below) of a time in my young life which helped me dispel any fear of weather or storms.
When I was a young boy [maybe 4-7], we lived in Indiana sharing a home with an elderly maiden lady. Her name was Maude. And when thunderstorms would traverse through our area of the MidWest back in those days, Maude used to say to me, “Common, Bill, … let’s go out on the swing and watch God’s fireworks.” And we’d go out on our front porch and she would sit in the swing, put my head in her lap, and let me watch the lightning crackle in the heavens (see attach photo) as the thunder rang loudly as well. It was magnificent … even peaceful!! And I never feared those storms being there in Maude’s lap. And to this day, I love to watch the lightning ripple in the heavens during a roaring thunderstorm.
Today’s Scripture references express how Paul came to recognize that there is no reason for us Christians to fear anything in life, … not even life threatening thunderstorms … no NOTHING!!! As Paul expressed it in today’s highlight passage, … “to live is Christ; and to die is gain!” So, why fear? …
But we do, don’t we?
We all too often let our fears get in the way of living for Christ; and as Paul also exhorted in Philippians 4:6-7 all we have to do is take our fearful life circumstances to God in prayer with a humble heart and He will give us His peace to take away our anxieties.
It’s a good plan, isn’t it. Because, since the worst that could happen in fearful circumstances is death, … all that would do is usher us into the presence of the Almighty. So, how about we go onward today and set aside our fears? Let the lightning crackle in the heavens; and enjoy God’s light show.
My Prayer Today: O, Heavenly Father, … Lord, help me to live by faith and not by fear. Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
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