Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
When we put God first He will do the rest through the power of Holy Spirit. He provides for those who trust in Him. Our life and our future is in His control. Nothing is left to chance.
Psalms 1:1-3
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.
Nothing in our life has more power for our spiritual growth and maturity than our salvation. God directs our path through Holy Spirit and we can rest in that peace. He will never leave us to fend for ourselves.
Psalms 37:1-4
Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
In prayer and supplication we can confidently place our needs in the hands of God and in His perfect will for our lives He will bring it to pass. In Him we can accomplish all that He has planned for us. By faith in Jesus all we do is under the direction of Holy Spirit we just need to listen closely to Him.
Philippians 3:10-14 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Pressing Toward the Goal 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus learned the ways of Jesus as the Savior to ALL, who by, faith believe in Him for salvation. In our faithfulness we are matured, precept by precept, in our relationship with God.
Philippians 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
We love others and do good because we were created to shine His light in this world of darkness. Jesus has already won the battle. we just need to live out our salvation in the power of Holy Spirit who will deliver us safely home. Carla
Roman citizenship was highly prized, but Paul encourages believers to embrace a far better identity as citizens of God’s kingdom. Most residents of Philippi probably lacked Roman citizenship. For any believers who did hold Roman citizenship, Paul’s statement here presents a challenge to look beyond their earthly status and show highest allegiance to Christ.
In the Roman Empire, the emperor was known as the savior and lord. By applying these titles to Jesus, Paul is calling the Philippians to live under the authority and reign of the universe’s true Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. It was likely this kind of message that landed Paul and Silas in jail in Philippi (Acts 16:21).
Those who believe in Christ will be raised and their bodies will be transformed (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 15:20–22, 51–54). Faithlife Study Bible
Christians need to remember that though we are in this world we are not of this world; our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. Here Paul presents a direct contrast to the earthly focus of the enemies of the Cross in verse 19. The eager desire of Christians is not earthly things, but a heavenly Person, the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul guarantees that Christ will transform, or “change in appearance,” the believer. What God will transform is the physical body. In verse 10, Christians are conformed to Christ’s death; here they are conformed to His life. Our body now is weak and susceptible to sin, disease, and death. But God will change our bodies to resemble Christ’s glorious resurrection body. The NKJV Study Bible
1 Corinthians 15:43–53 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body…
Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power
1 Corinthians 1:7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
1 Corinthians 15:28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
Enabled by enoughness (the gift of sufficiency), and not frightened by scarcity, I’m not enticed to ask, “what do I need today?”
Rather, I can ask, “what do others need today?”
You see, I have both resources and assets to give…
A listening ear. Empathy.
Calm demeanor. Shout out to a friend.
Words of consolation.
Garrison Keillor once reflected on the church of his youth: "We had a surplus of scholars, and a deficit of peacemakers." I would argue, that is a ratio which needs to be reworked.
And then we read this from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, "So; chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength and discipline. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it." Sabbath Moments
“Dear God, May we find the strength to heal, the courage to fight for what matters, and the wisdom to cherish those we love in the present moment. May love guide our steps, even through loss, uncertainty, and change. Amen.” Maria Shriver
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