Monday, September 15, 2014 Joy in the Future by Dr. Paul Chappell “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:19–21 Many people live in fear of the future. They worry about what is going to happen, how they will pay the bills, if they will get sick, or if their family will be okay. While we should be wise in our planning and acknowledge and prepare for things that could happen, we should regard the future with faith rather than fear. Paul was in prison in Rome when he wrote to the church at Philippi. He knew that any moment Nero could order his execution and there would be no appeal. Yet despite that unpleasant reality, Paul was joyful as he faced the future. He realized the important truth that God is always in control. Through the prayers of God’s people—it is worth noting that Paul’s prison epistles feature frequent requests for prayers on his behalf—he was hopeful that he would be released to continue his ministry, and confident of his future in Heaven if he was martyred instead. The expression Paul uses “my earnest expectation” reveals so much about his attitude. The Greek word describes someone stretching out his head to get a good look—like someone at the airport looking down the corridor to catch a glimpse of a passenger who is arriving. There is no fear or dread in Paul’s heart. He doesn’t know what is going to happen, but he knows that God is in control and that what happens will be what God knows is best.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 15:24:38 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015