Encouragement: Rejoice together with me

Here is your daily encouragement words and thoughts. Today I bring you encouragement from Philippians 2:8-18

8 He humbled himself,
by becoming obedient to the point of death
– even death on a cross!
9 As a result God exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow
– in heaven and on earth and under the earth –
11 and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord
to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, 13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world 16 by holding on to the word of life so that on the day of Christ I will have a reason to boast that I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. 18 And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.

Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Php 2:8-18). Biblical Studies Press.

"Do everything without grumbling or arguing" So when was the last time you had an argument with God. I can hear my words "You have got to be kidding God, me do WHAT?" "I am too slow to do that!" or "I don't know God this seems to be stupid doing this." We are however not alone in these feelings. If we look back in Gods word we have many examples of God's hero's of faith who felt they could not do what God had called them to do. But God worked with them or in spite of them and we see the success that they achieve when they buckled down respecting God in awe and reverence.

God often challenges us to see if we are committed and I am sure he gets a chuckle at our squirming when the pressure goes up. I guess we forget just how big God is. Paul reminds us here that we should approach Him with awe and reverence.

So lets boldly go forth and fulfill our callings, be them big or small, for the sake of His good pleasure that we may rejoice together.

Amen