Text:
Philippians 3:1 (HCSB)
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you.
Philippians 3:7-9 (HCSB)
7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ.
8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.
Observation:
Things can rob us of our joy. Earlier in the letter Paul said that circumstances, and people can also be joy stealers.
However, the antidote for these joy stealers is to not depend upon circumstances, people, and things as our source for joy. While you cannot rely upon things to give you joy, you can rely upon the Lord to give you joy. That is the message of our focal passage for today.
This is a message that is worth repeating, and Paul did just that later on in his letter.
Philippians 4:4 (HCSB)
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Prayer:
Father, hallowed be Your name. Father, I praise and thank You for the joy that You give to Your people. Father, I am so grateful that this is a joy that circumstances, people, and things cannot steal from us. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
—
Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
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