Faithful Suffering
18 Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
Philippians 1:18-20
How would you feel about being in prison? I rekon it’s one of my greatest fears.
Paul is in prison because he preached the gospel. Not because he killed someone or stole something. Because he preached the good news about Jesus.
He’s eating terrible food and drinking terrible water. It would have been cold, dark, smelly and damp. And for Paul, one of the greatest torments would have been that he wasn’t free to go out and continue what he so deeply believed in - preaching the gospel.
So how would you feel? Terrible right. But look at verse 18. Paul says he has been and continues to rejoice! Instead of saying woe or oh no, he is saying yes! Now is this because Paul is some sort of super-human or robot? He comes off that way sometimes.
But look at what Paul says. He’s joy isn’t baseless. It comes from the work of the provision of the Spirit and the prayers of God’s people helping him to be courageous and confident. Confident that he will be delivered from his situation either in this life or the next one and that ultimately Christ will be glorified through Paul’s suffering.
How can he be so confident? Well, of course, Christ’s suffering and death is our forerunner. Paul isn’t a robot. But he is radically different. Because he sees suffering for the gospel differently. Hard. But not wasted.
For Today:
Pray: Praise the Father that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us. Give thanks for Jesus who walked this path before us and was exalted in death and in resurrection. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust in Jesus in suffering and pray for those imprisoned.
Philippians 1:18-20
How would you feel about being in prison? I rekon it’s one of my greatest fears.
Paul is in prison because he preached the gospel. Not because he killed someone or stole something. Because he preached the good news about Jesus.
He’s eating terrible food and drinking terrible water. It would have been cold, dark, smelly and damp. And for Paul, one of the greatest torments would have been that he wasn’t free to go out and continue what he so deeply believed in - preaching the gospel.
So how would you feel? Terrible right. But look at verse 18. Paul says he has been and continues to rejoice! Instead of saying woe or oh no, he is saying yes! Now is this because Paul is some sort of super-human or robot? He comes off that way sometimes.
But look at what Paul says. He’s joy isn’t baseless. It comes from the work of the provision of the Spirit and the prayers of God’s people helping him to be courageous and confident. Confident that he will be delivered from his situation either in this life or the next one and that ultimately Christ will be glorified through Paul’s suffering.
How can he be so confident? Well, of course, Christ’s suffering and death is our forerunner. Paul isn’t a robot. But he is radically different. Because he sees suffering for the gospel differently. Hard. But not wasted.
For Today:
- Do you fear suffering for faith?
- Do you pray for people who are suffering for proclaiming Jesus?
- Pray for people in a country who are suffering today.
Pray: Praise the Father that though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is with us. Give thanks for Jesus who walked this path before us and was exalted in death and in resurrection. Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others trust in Jesus in suffering and pray for those imprisoned.
Posted in Philippians
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