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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, July 6, 2026
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :The Source of Joy Bible Verse: Philippians 1:12-14 "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, so that my imprisonment [literally bonds] in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else, and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear." Message:
How could Paul’s “bonds” make others more likely to preach the Gospel? He tells us that his imprisonment — and the reason for it — have become widely known, even among the Romans. Yet usually, kings will make an example of a law-breaker to discourage others from imitating his conduct. It does not sound like a great marketing strategy: “Hurry! Hurry! Preach about Christ and get thrown into a Roman prison! This offer will not last forever!”
Jew Hebrew slavery
Others take their attitude towards Paul’s misery from Paul himself. Did he wring his hands and bemoan his fate? No, he proclaimed his freedom (and the slavery of non-believers), for the wise among us realize that, in the words of Richard Lovelace, “Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.”
When human beings pursue “happiness” by whatever means — satisfying their appetites, pursuing fame, looking after their safety and security — it eventually eludes them. To take our happiness from the world makes us the playthings of circumstance. Our joy will rise and fall like a boat on the ocean, ultimately showing the folly of attempts to control it; and when our “boat” sinks, as all finally do — physical death awaits us all — we will have nothing.
Paul had good reason to be disappointed, for he had always wanted to travel to Rome to preach (Romans 1:9-10). Furthermore, as a Roman citizen, he probably had a right to a trial before he was imprisoned. Yet we hear not a word of disappointment here. We note the entire absence of that modern favorite pastime: outrage over mistreatment. Instead, he demonstrates he true joy of salvation. And it is all the more powerful because, like Christ, his faith and joy outshine the mortification of his very body.
Differentiate between the “joy” of Paul and the “power of positive thinking” of pop psychology writers. Our joy does not come from our brain. The Holy Spirit is real and external to us. We find our joy by turning our gaze away from ourselves, not further into ourselves.
And our joy in the face of difficult circumstances, our demonstration of the power of our faith, emboldens other. In Paul’s imprisonment, others came to see Christ; his joy in miserable circumstances was a reflection of Christ’s ultimate victory, His victory over death. In the next verses (15-18) we will see another, even odder demonstration of God’s power to bring contentment in adversity.
Meditation : Prayer : The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, this day and evermore. Amen. |
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