Devotional Song: … GO TO THIS LINK … Please take the time to take in a YouTube video with images and lyrics from Dennis Jernigan leading in worship and singing his song … Thank You Lord … poignantly worshipping God in song for all that our Lord has done for us … so that we, prayerfully, can thank others in Christlikeness by serving them.
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Highlight Verse[s]: Philippians 4:10-11 [NLT] … 10 How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. 11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.
… Paul was content for all God had done for him; but still expressed deep thankfulness for the help of other Christians.
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Highlight Passage [context]: Philippians 4:10-19 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul’s thankfulness to the Christians who supported him in ministry.
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Reference Passage [NLT] : … Mark 10:42-45 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Jesus teaches 12 Disciples (and us) on having the attitude of a slave in service to others just as He came to serve us by giving His all for us.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … Philippians 2:3-8 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Paul shows how we should humbly serve others as Jesus has humbly served us.
Reference Passage [NLT] : … 1st Peter 5:5-7 [NLT] … USE THIS LINK …
… Peter teaches that Christlike humility is the key to being able to serve one another.
My Devotional Journal: Today's ODB author, Cindy Hess Kaskper, made reference to a friend who discovered the humility to allow others to have God’s blessing as they served her needs The ODB author wrote: Marilyn had been ill for many weeks, and many people had encouraged her through this difficult time. How will I ever repay all their kindnesses? she worried. Then one day she read the words of a written prayer: “Pray that [others] will develop humility, allowing them not only to serve, but also to be served.” Marilyn suddenly realized there was no need to balance any scale, but just to be thankful and allow others to experience the joy of serving.
When we’re in need of caring assistance, are you, like me, resistant and even embarrassed to have others do things for you? We can be so prideful in these moments, can’t we, … when we need others to serve us? And it even feels more uncomfortable when people serve our needs and we are fully capable of serving ourselves.
That’s what the Apostle Paul was addressing from a prison to fellow Christians in his letter to the generous help he received from his beloved friends in Philippi. As you read in the highlight passage above, Paul was content with where God had led him, even tho it was a prison. Yet he knew that his Christian friends would get a blessing for helping him; and he was humbled and thankful for their loving concern and especially for their sacrificial gifts.
We’re coming up on our THANKSGIVING and CHRISTMAS celebration time here in the USA; and I hope that we’ll have the attitude of Christ during this holiday season (see the reference scriptures) and be humbly thankful for all that others do for us. And prayerfully, I hope we’ll be able to turn that thankfulness into service for others in the future, receiving the blessing God pours out when we humble ourselves to serve others.
And may I say that I’m thankful for any who read my journaling here and sense the blessing I get for writing what God shares with me from His word and I’m able to share it here with you. I am SO BLESSED to be here daily, trying my best to reflect God’s truth which He gives to me to grow closer to Him and to reflect that blessing forward.
My Prayer Today: Abba Father, … King Jesus, … Precious Spirit … Thank You, Lord, for being here with me this morning … and for sharing Your truth with me so that I can reflect it for others. … 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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