Encourage my Heart in Christ (Philemon 20)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11-29-02

 

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  Encourage my Heart in Christ

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Philemon 20

 

            Message of the verse:  “20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.”  (NASB95)  “Yes dear brother, please do me this favor for the Lord’s sake.  Give me this encouragement in Christ.”  (NLT)

            The KJV translates the word benefit as joy and so Paul wants Philemon to make the godly decision of being kind to Onesimus and thus it would bring joy to him.  He calls Philemon “brother” in this verse and this is because he is benefiting from the grace of God and is also a fellow minister for the cause of Christ.  This will be a no loose situation for Philemon if he forgives Onesimus and it will be a great encouragement in the Lord to Paul while he is in prison for the cause of Christ.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  Some of the themes that run through this short letter are love and obedience to the Lord for the cause of Jesus Christ.  I would pray that I too would be obedient to the cause of Christ even in the seemingly little things of everyday life.

 

The Word of God was refreshing to me today.

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  As we get together with Sandy’s parents and with our son Dave I would pray that things would go well in all aspects of our lives today.  May the Lord bless our family today as we get together to be thankful for His goodness to us.

 

Memory verse for the week:  Ephesians 2:10:  “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.