January 23, 2025 -- Philippians 1:12-13 -- Memorization and Cornbread

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the Gospel so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.
Philippians 1:12-13 ESV
 
Have you ever eaten cornbread? It has so little structure that if you don’t hold it right, it crumbles to little pieces…well, I am sad to report my memorization was like that cornbread. I had a tenuous hold on chapter one and much of chapter two. When it came time to repeat it with my accountability partner, I was too ashamed to try. It seemed as if all the words, like unstructured cornbread, had just crumbled and tumbled together. You may have noticed there were no devotional emails in the last 10 days or so. I was on vacation with my wife, in Jamaica. It was lovely. The goal (besides the obvious ones of time away with my wife, sun, sand etc.) was to spend the week reviewing the memory work so that chapters one and two would be locked into memory. I have a bible memorization app, according to it, my memorization went from 55% percent to 93%. It feels good. If you’re struggling, keep going. Review regularly. Stop pressing ahead and get really secure in the memorization you’ve already been working on.
 
Today’s passage is beautiful. It is a reminder that wherever you are and whatever your circumstances God is in charge. Paul was in prison—and rather than lament and wail about his circumstances, he shared the Gospel—the Good News that our sins, great as they are, have been atoned for by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. In Him we are a new creation, the old, sinful nature is replaced with His righteousness. As His children, followers of Jesus Christ, we are prepared both to believe in Him and suffer for His Name’s sake.
 
Nursing home or cancer ward, godless workplace or school, coffee klatch with friends, prison, hospice, good times, hard times, employed or homeless, all our lives and all our times are in His hand. He is using every moment of your life to shape you for His good purposes, extend the reach of the Gospel, and most importantly through all of this He will make His glory known in you. If God can use people, broken, confused, challenged and needy as we are, pause and reflect on how great His power is, how vast His mercy, and limitless His patient-kindness. Be warned also, those who encounter Jesus must not wear Him like a decorated cross on a chain, a talisman to be called on once in a while as if He served us. Let that never be! He is to be feared and obeyed every moment of every day.
 
As Paul will later write to those who know they belong to God by the grace and peace of Jesus: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12). The salvation of God is given and continuously applied to you and must, like deep-healing cream be applied and then vigorously spread over every part of your life. That ‘working out your own salvation’ happens in real life, in unexpected circumstances, when things are very hard and what you say or think will come rushing out of you. You realize all over again, Jesus, I need Your Spirit to work out this salvation into every aspect of my life: renewal of core-beliefs, governing my thought-life, guarding every word I speak so that every deed is done for Your glory.
 
Faithful Father in heaven, thank You for the rich salvation given in Jesus Christ. Thank You that when You, by Your holy decree made before the creation of the world, decided to save sinners, it would be a salvation that is completely Yours. The gift of salvation given to those who could not earn it, work for it, or ever deserve it. From start to finish, You are the God of mercy and love. By Your Spirit, help me today, in whatever circumstance I find myself, to be open to Your leading, humble to receive correction, and ready to live so that whoever meets me will know that I live for Christ. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/9zGbdg1YCYY?si=uIjFx5AaelPsUqBl “Afflicted Saint, to Christ Draw Near”
 

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