Devo Coming to Life

She Reads Truth

Today's words..

Have you ever had a time in your life when you crave spending time with Him?  Where not only do you desire that closeness, that intimacy with Him, but you find yourself talking about Him.  A lot.  But talking in a way that is just every day conversation, and it just flows naturally.  Because your heart has become so in tune with His, it’s overflowing and pouring out.

Regardless of opposition or suffering, it is Christ who saves.  It is Christ who unites us.  

• Close your eyes and imagine Paul.  He is in prison.  He is in chains.  He is suffering, yet He never stops sharing the gospel message.  Apply this to your life: what have you allowed to stand in the way of sharing the gospel? 

• Find a blank page and start writing a prayer.  Mark this day as the start of a life that is overflowing with Christ’s love and joy.

Now, this is big considering halfway through the day I wrote this post. And when it says "mark this day as the start of a life that is overflowing with Christ's love and joy" I think of how this is a time, a pivotal point in my life in which my call is becoming much more real - the call to put away childish things and become a woman of God.  

Not only this, but this is a time when I am increasingly craving Him and speaking about Him on a much more regular basis. It is becoming a continual conversation, an unending flow of ideas, thoughts, acknowledgments, silent prayers, even wordless prayers... I have these words of His swarming around in my mind and I'm so deeply comforted by them being here with me. For His Words are living and active therefore they will live and act - move around, breathe Life into me. He, my refuge is that much nearer today. 

 Yesterday's words that I read today...

Philippians 1:1-11
In this letter, Paul is quite literally in chains for the Gospel. And yet, there is an overarching and very apparent theme of joy, gratitude and prayer for others in this passage.

Why do you think that is? What does Paul know that we, in far less noble chains than he, do not? He is thinking big-picture, long-term, Kingdom work. And on his heart is the business of encouragement.

He writes to the Philippians in verse 6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (emphasis added).

Paul makes no promise that they will see the fruits of their labor now – that the Gospel-sowing work they are doing in the lives of their unbelieving loved ones will be theirs to also reap. He doesn’t tell them to expect things to get easier or better or simpler. He just encourages them where they are, with a sure confidence to remember the bigger picture – to persevere. That all the good that has begun in that community is pointing to something greater – the “day of Jesus Christ”!

How are you encouraging those around you today?

Are you putting aside your own chains to lift up and love others?

Let’s begin our study of Philippians by being a Paul. All of us together, let’s set ourselves and our trials aside and write – maybe even hand write – good, solid, big-picture encouragement to at least one other person. And permission for plagiarism here: use scripture from this passage if you like!

Let’s all live today with the day of Jesus Christ – His glorious return – in the forefronts of our minds, “to the glory and praise of God.”

words, phrases, themes I have seen manifested, living and active...

- - joy, gratitude, prayer for others - - 

 

- - all the good that has begun in that community is pointing to something greater - Christ - - 

 

- - encourage them where they are, with a sure confidence to remember the bigger picture - to persevere - - 

 

- - set ourselves and our trials aside & write a good, solid, big-picture encouragement to at least one other person... - -

... today, He gave me the pleasure of encouraging (or at least cheering up) Kay, Megan, & Mama

I will have the opportunity again, tonight, to either continue in my interests or to set myself, my stuff, aside and 1. write a big-picture encouragement to McKenna 2. give McKenna my time and attention.