For your consideration

[rl69]

I rejoice and share my joy with you" (Phil. 2:17 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Phil.%202.17)).
True joy is directly related to godly living.Philippians is often called the epistle of joy—and rightly so because the believer's joy is its major theme. Paul loved the Philippian Christians and they loved Him. When they learned that he had been imprisoned for preaching the gospel, they were deeply concerned.
Paul wrote to alleviate their fears and encourage their joy. Of his own circumstances he said, "Even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. And you too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me" (Phil. 2:17- 18 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Phil.%202.17-%2018)).
Often a Jewish animal sacrifice was accompanied by a libation or drink offering (e.g., Num. 15:1-10 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Num.%2015.1-10)). The animal was the greater sacrifice; the libation the lesser. Drawing from that picture, Paul placed greater significance on the faith and spiritual well-being of his readers than on his own life. To suffer for Christ's sake brought him joy, and he wanted the Philippians to understand that perspective and rejoice with him.
He also wanted them to understand that joy doesn't operate in a vacuum. It's directly related to godly living. Christ is its source; obedience is its sustenance. We see that in David's cry of repentance: "Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation" (Ps. 51:12 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Ps.%2051.12)). Paul knew the joy of the Lord because he trusted Christ and obeyed His will.
The scarcity of joy and godliness in the world today makes it imperative that Christians manifest those characteristics. As we do, others will see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Matt.%205.16)).
This month we will highlight various aspects of joy and godliness from Philippians 1:1-11 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Philippians%201.1-11) and Colossians 1:9-12 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/Colossians%201.9-12). I pray you will be eager to learn from God's Word, and willingly obey what you learn, for therein is "joy inexpressible and full of glory" (1 Pet. 1:8 (http://biblia.com/bible/nasb95/1%20Pet.%201.8)).
Suggestions for Prayer


Ask the Holy Spirit to use our daily studies to strengthen your joy and increase your godliness.
Seek to emulate Paul's attitude of preferring others to yourself—a key element in joyful living.

For Further Study
Read the book of Philippians, noting each reference to joy.


What brought joy to Paul?
On what or whom do you rely for joy?

[USMC87]

It should give us great joy to be able to claim Christ as our Lord and Savior, Amen. Thanks so much for this uplifting lesson.

[Blackwater]

This is a principle that truly seems paradoxical to us. Yes, we DO wind up MUCH more satisfied when we live according to God's will for us. But WE have real "ego problems" very frequently, and want what WE want, rather than what Christ wants for us. We contrive all sorts of excuses, often thinking "I'll just find a way to have both," but those ways are so scarce as to be less than a ghost. It's our willfulness that always leads to our sins. Our tempers, our "worldly" desires, our excesses - whatever we like more than we like doing God's will - those are the things that lead us to sin, however "large or small" the sin might be. And they all, regardless of the "size" of the sin (at least in our ratings systems) lead us to sorrow eventually. Oh, we might revel in our sins for a time, but it's always short, and when it's over - and it's ALWAYS over before we think it ought to be - we have the "cleanup" job, that's always GREATLY more than we figured it on being!

Funny how that works, isn't it? Like it was planned or something???? Yes, God truly DOES love us, and sent His Son to give us the best and most complete instruction and advice we could ever want or need. And still, we turn away from all that, and sin because of our free wills. What a moody lot we are sometimes! But we ALSO have a "higher nature," that loves and seeks God and all that He has given us to know Him by. THAT is the part of us we need to nurture and tend to. It's been said that man is always of two natures, and the person we become is determined by which of those two natures we feed. I think there's an awful lot of wisdom in that view, and a whole big ol' dose of reality as well.

If we feed our haughtiness, our cynicism and pessimism, our carnal desires, as seems so highly and often promoted in most of our media today that we seem so addicted to, then we will become one thing. If, on the other hand, we choose to feed our higher nature, we will become another, very different entity in the end. And we keep having to choose each day which we will feed. Good luck, guys, but remember, we make our OWN "luck" in this! By our simple, daily choices we make. Thank God we have a Redeemer that has given us a way back if we skew off course! What a wonderful Lord we serve!