Daily Devotion (August 5, 2024)
Philippians 1:12–14 (NKJV)
12But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,
13so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ;
14and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
We live in dark days, but we do not have to live our lives in the darkness of sin and separation from God.
Bad things happen to good people, even Christians. We, in America, have not faced the persecution of the Apostle Paul or the other followers faced in the first century, but we do face opposition. We know Satan is a hater of God and will be a hater of the church and those who follow Christ.
In all probability we are not going to be hanged, beheaded, or fed to the lions. But we do know the world hates God and therefore hates His followers. What did Paul do while being persecuted for following Christ? He spread the gospel. One person wrote, “Paul used his dark circumstances to spread the gospel. Paul did not see himself as a prisoner of Rome nor of Nero. He saw himself as a prisoner for Jesus Christ. He did not see himself as a victim; he saw himself as a conqueror for Jesus Christ.”
We must ask ourselves the question of how we see ourselves. Are we living for self and selfish ambition or do we live our lives for Christ. We cannot be neutral. To be neutral is to side with Satan. There is no middle ground in following Christ. We have either given our lives to Him wholeheartedly or we are living our lives for Satan.
Paul writes in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. When the world is knocking on your door, or Satan places the temptation in front of you remember your strength is found in the Spirit of God who lives in you. There is nothing God calls us to do that cannot be done…that is if we are allowing Christ to live in and direct our lives.
The old hymn “Living for Jesus” is a reminder of the way to true blessings in the world. “Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free, This is the pathway of blessing for me.” Persecution will come but so will God’s blessings.