Friday, December 14, 2018



For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill.  Indeed he was ill, and almost died, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Philippians 2:26 NIV

Paul is writing to the Philippian church from Rome. Depending on the route taken, this can be 800 to 1,200 miles away. When Epaphroditus left Philippi to come to Rome, he traveled over land  probably on foot.

How long did he travel? It's just a guess, but I think about 2 months. If you think we have snail mail, what did these people have? Waiting and praying was a necessary attribute. Personal messengers brought letters back and forth.

As nice as it is to receive gifts, the greatest gift we have in our lives are people. Paul is thankful that Epaphroditus didn't leave this world on his watch, because Rod, {I call him this for short} was a great help and blessing.  People are what make life worth living, because God made us for relationship.

Many have lost relationships because God's basic principles  have been swept aside. Honoring God by doing what he said is huge because he has good reason for what he said. Just because we don't understand doesn't make His way wrong.

Obeying when we don't understand is a great form of honor. It's trusting God because we know He is GOD, and He has our best interest in mind all of the time. Listen to this: For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:4 How can this be true? The Bible says God delights in me?

Maybe this is a mistake. Someone didn't translate the verse properly. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works. Psalm 145:8-9 Can this really be true? Yes, it is!

God sees me through eyes of mercy because Jesus has washed me clean by the work He did on the cross. The truth is better than a lie, it transends every fake accusation against God and His nature, and leaves us with peace and restoration.

This is what His coming is all about. Tranforming us to be a people who are filled with the power and presence of God. It's a free gift for every person who believes. It is truly the best gift ever!




No comments:

Post a Comment