MEDITATIONS
FROM PAUL’S EPISTLES
July 25 , 2007
Reading: Philemon 1-25
"Let me have joy from you in the
Lord; Refresh my heart in the Lord” Philemon 20
Here we find Paul in prison, probably in chains, but
still writing letters to his friends and children in the faith. He took great
joy in seeing those who accepted the gospel through his ministry. He had no
physical children on whom to dote and in whom to be proud, but his spiritual
children were many, far more than we have been made aware. We know that Timothy
– 1
Timothy 1:2, Titus – Titus 1:4, Onesimus –
Philemon 10, are among that vast number he loved calling “sons”
and “my children.”
One of the great continuing joys is to see your
children in the faith growing in Jesus Christ and bearing fruit of their own.
Someone, who once committed his life to serving the Lord in the jungles of
It is such a blessing to look back and see how God
has so graciously used you in the fulfilling of His purpose. There is no room
for pride, but much room for joy and refreshing.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who
waters, but God who gives the increase. Now he who plants and he who waters are
one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” 1 Corinthians 3:6-8.
It
does refresh your soul when God gives you the privilege of seeing the fruit of
your labor. It is refreshing because God has graciously placed you in the chain
of events. It is not that He could not have used another of His children, but
as unworthy as you see yourself, nevertheless, He used you. How important that
you remember “So then neither he who plants is anything, not he that waters,
but God gives the increase.” You are a link in the chain, but it is God who
creates the chain and makes it strong and unbreakable.
“For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when
he is nothing, he deceives himself” Galatians 6:3.
No
matter if the world has thrown you into prison and placed your hands and feet
in chains, you can always look back and be refreshed by seeing how your sons and
daughters in the faith are growing in the love and knowledge of their Savior.
Only God knows how many, but there are men and women throughout the world who
are in prison, being tortured and put to death because they love Jesus and
refuse to stop telling others of Him. You will not hear about these persons in
the daily news media, only through such organizations as The Voice of the
Martyrs. Bring up their website and receive weekly news about these brothers
and sisters of ours. It is a privilege to remember them before the Throne of
Grace. This is how Jesus is building His church – through regular people such
as you and I. Think of it—the greatest kingdom ever established, the one that
will never pass away, is founded and built by the Carpenter of Nazareth using stones
(you and I) He has quarried from the clutches of Satan. O how marvelous! O how
wonderful! And my song shall ever be: O how marvelous! O how wonderful! Is my
Savior’s love for me!
“Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, But to Your name
give glory, Because of Your mercy, because of Your
truth” Psalm 115:1.