Wednesday, November 19 – Philippians 1:3-11
- Josh Breslaw
- Nov 19
- 1 min read
In the opening of Philippians, Paul gives thanks to the Philippians because of their participation in the gospel. Paul hints at the need for the church to continue to work even while he is imprisoned. Paul encourages the church to keep going because God is going to keep going and be at work with them.
Verse 8 is the sentence that impacts me the most. When you remember that Paul is in prison as he writes to the Philippians, you feel an emotional tug from these words. His statement in verse 8 is that he longs for the people with the love that Jesus has. It is this love that led him to prison and led him to write this letter. Paul wanted people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Paul believed the gospel with such intensity that he knew it was necessary to speak the name of Jesus even if it cost him his freedom and eventually his life.
When we are pulled away from the people we love, we can give thanks that we have the memories of good times with them. Paul was able to hold those memories close while in prison. But he also knew that his love for them was like the love that Jesus had for us. And Jesus’ love for us led him to die, resurrect, and ascend to heaven, leaving his disciples behind. May we give thanks for the times we have with our family and friends, and may those memories carry us through when we are not with them.
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