The Past, the Present and the Future

Pause:

Before you start reading this devotional, take a moment to stop what you’re doing, slow down and focus on Jesus. 

Pray and ask him to open your eyes to see as you read the scriptures, and to open your ears to hear as you wait on the leading of the Spirit.

Read:

Philippians 1v3-11: “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you,⁴ always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer,⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.⁶ I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.⁷ Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.⁸ For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.⁹ And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment,¹⁰ so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ,¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”

Going Deeper:

Philippians is called “the Epistle of Joy” by some, because the topic of joy comes up about 16 times in just four chapters. And, Paul writes on this to encourage the Philippian Church as they follow Jesus, while he himself is suffering in prison.

Paul loved the Philippian Church, probably for a number of reasons. He had planted it and it felt like his family, but it was also unique because it was the first Church planted on the whole continent of Europe. 

So, Paul writes to them, to encourage them, while he is in prison, because he is already encouraged in Christ. He is overflowing with a real joy while in prison that comes from his closeness to Jesus. And he wants them to live from and experience this same encouragement for themselves, whatever they might be facing.

He tells them that in prison, he is looking back, and reminiscing on their times together, which are special moments and memories for Him. And with them in mind, he is praying for the people of this Church, filled with joy, and not just because they are friends. But because they are family in the Church of God, and partners in a Global Movement together.

Paul knows that they could be discouraged and could back down from the mission that they are apart of because of his imprisonment, and their own adversity in life. So he wants to remind them that their partnership in the gospel continues. And that their role is even more important at this time, as he is ‘on the bench’ in jail, until he is able to get free.

But what amazes me most here, is that Paul doesn’t allow himself or the Church, to stay reminiscing on the past. Or to get stuck in their glory days, where they pioneered the kingdom of God together into Europe. Even though as he writes this, there was probably a highlights reel of amazing testimonies of answered prayer, salvations, people growing as disciples, and the kingdom of God advancing playing in their minds.

Paul won’t let them stay in the past, and he won’t let them stay in the difficulty and negativity of the present. 

No, Paul reminds them that we also know the future and that we know what is to come. 

We know that Jesus is coming back. We know that He wins. We know that everything that is going on now, whether good or bad, is something that He will work together for our good and His glory. And we know that a glorious future, with Jesus, in the new heavens and the new earth awaits us. 

And because of this, we can lament and mourn and be disappointed in the difficulties of the present, but without being defeated.

God’s purposes and plans will prevail! 

Paul reminds us that “…he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Even at this time, during lockdown, with its' effects on our lives and the uncertainty of the future, we know that God’s plans and purposes are still being worked out in and through our lives. And they always will, until Jesus returns.

Paul wants to lift their heads, and point them ahead to that day. To remember what is coming and to be encouraged about our certain future, during uncertain times.

And because of that, Paul is able to say to us in another Epistle (a letter of his focused more on suffering, discouragement, and weakness): 

2 Corinthians 4v16-18: “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. ¹⁸ So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Pray:

Respond to God in prayer by speaking to Him about what stood out to your from this passage this morning.

Listen:

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you this morning?

Apply:

What are you going to do in response to what God is saying to you from the text and by the Spirit?