A Life Worthy of the Gospel – Philippians Treasures
Sharon W. Betters
TODAY’S TREASURE
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-8).
Dear Friends,
Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice!
I can’t hear these words without remembering a long-ago Vacation Bible School for teens. Every evening for a week our youth group met. Our leader, an older man in the church, poured his heart into us as he led us through the book of Philippians. As I look back, I realize how passionate he was about sharing God’s Word with these teens whose only interest was to have fun with their friends. Though he may have ended the week feeling frustrated and maybe wondering if anything he taught was rooted in our hearts, I look forward to meeting him in heaven and thanking him for his faithfulness. Every night, he declared, “Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice!” I have a feeling more than one teen snickered at his enthusiasm. Can you feel his pain as he looked around at our bored expressions?
And yet, through this faithful man, the Lord planted His Word in my heart. Like a little stick of dynamite, years later, the truth of Philippians exploded in my life, and the command to “rejoice in the Lord always” was a key stepping stone as I navigated hard places.
I’m so grateful for the way guest writer Barbaranne Kelly will lead us into the heart of this little book of Philippians. You may remember Barbaranne’s devotional series on the
books of Hosea and her first series where she shares the story of her friend, Lisa.
Barbara’s passion for the Word shows up in all of her writing. How grateful I am that in the middle of her busy life, she continues to invest in each of us through her writing. Read these devotions with pen in hand and Bible open to Philippians. Barbaranne’s study reminds us there is more to this book than the command to rejoice. Paul exhorts each of us to live in a “manner worthy of the gospel”. In preparation for this series, read through the little book of Philippians several times. Ask the Lord to open your heart to the message uniquely designed for you. Write your impressions of this little book in your journal. And consider that it is in the context of rejoicing that the Lord calls us to live life in a manner worthy of Him.
On another note, I don’t remember the name of the older man who reminded us repeatedly that one theme of the book of Philippians is “Rejoice!” But his faithfulness to a bunch of ungrateful teenagers impacted my life deeply many years later. Don’t minimize how your faithfulness to the Lord is an ever-widening circle, accomplishing God’s purposes in ways you may never know on this earth.
When you feel the way this man may have felt, consider:
“Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference has never been in bed with a mosquito!" Anonymous
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
More free resources for help hope & healing:
In His Grip is the preaching and teaching ministry of Dr. Chuck F. Betters from almost fifty years in church ministry. This month’s featured series is: From Misery to Mercy to Ministry with Dr. Chuck Betters
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
For more from Daily Treasure please visit MARKINC.ORG.
Originally published Sunday, 30 April 2023.
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