“I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. . . .”
Philippians 3:8Peer through the small window in the wall of the Roman jail. See the man in chains? The aging fellow with the stooped shoulders and hawkish nose? That’s Paul, the imprisoned apostle. His chains never come off. The guards never leave. And he’s probably wondering if he’ll ever get out. . . .
By the time we find Paul in his cell, he has been beaten, lied about, storm tossed, rejected, and neglected.
Paul has every reason to be stressed out. . . .
But he isn’t. Rather than count the bricks of his prison, he plants a garden within it. He itemizes, not the mistreatments of people, but the faithfulness of God.
“I want you to know, brethren” (Phil. 1:12) “that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (1:12 NIV). He may appear to be bumped off track, but he is actually right on target. Why? One reason. Christ is preached. The mission is being accomplished.
— Every Day Deserves a Chance
...For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7
...Your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.
1 Kings 8:61
...But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
"Beginning is the most important part of the work" ....Let us watch well our beginnings, and the results will manage themselves.......
