| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “Living with joy” Our Bible verse for today: “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 (CSB) Our thought for today: “The joy of relying on Christ” Philippians 4:13 teaches an important truth about how to live the Christian life with confidence and joy. What Paul teaches here is that from personal experience he had learned that he could live well – with peace and joy and regardless of his external circumstances, when he relied on Christ. This was true for multiple reasons. The first reason is that life is always better with Jesus than without Jesus. That’s true regardless of the circumstances of that life. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said, “Come to me and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Jesus invites us to come to Him and walk through life with Him. He promises to provide all the direction we will need. He will also help us carry our burdens. This is what Paul was referring to when he wrote “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Second, a life lived in close relationship with Jesus is a life filled with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) We have already learned in previous devotionals that Paul’s joy, peace, and contentment came from the inside and worked its way out. It was the fruit of the Spirit in his heart that produced those virtues in his life. And third, as Jesus explained in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:25-33, if you honor God with your life God will honor you and He will care for you (Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.) Applying that truth to what Paul wrote in Philippians 4:10-13 we realize that God is Sovereign and He knew exactly where Paul was at all times, He knew what Paul’s circumstances were, and He knew what Paul’s needs were. That’s true for us too. So as Paul dealt with difficult circumstances in life he just kept his eyes on Jesus and relied on Him. He did not allow himself to become too distracted by or concerned with the daily things of life and as a result, he experienced great joy. May the same be true for you and for me. God bless, Pastor Jim (If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville) |
| Copyright © 2024 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571 |
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