Philippians | Kristi's Morning Devotional

April 30, 2023April 30, 2023

Good Morning

The sun hasn’t come up yet but when it does this is probably what I’ll see. The desert is beautiful, the cacti are in bloom and the morning air is crisp.

It was a short night. I’ve been sitting here for the last several hours thanking the Lord for filling my life with so many wonderful blessings.

Last night we celebrated Dave’s birthday with new friends. These are folks we have known less than a year and already they seem like family. It amazes me how the Lord can knit our hearts to so many wonderful people.

Wonderful people like all of you.

“May you have loving-favor and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³I thank God for you whenever I think of you. ⁴I always have joy as I pray for all of you.” Philippians 1:2-4 NLV

I am so grateful that you join me each day and I never take your readership for granted. You are a blessing.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, and sing praises to Your name, O Most High. ²It is good to tell of Your loving-kindness in the morning, and of how faithful You are at night, ³with harps, and with music of praise. ⁴For You have made me glad by what You have done, O Lord. I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.” Psalm 92:1-4 NLV

To be honest, I haven’t always greeted the day with gratitude. No, there was a time when I grumbled at the start of the day. I didn’t want to get out of bed; I didn’t want to go to work; I focused on the things I didn’t want to do.

However, the quiet time – just me and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is now the richest time of the day. No grumbling or complaining here. I welcome the opportunity to spend time in His presence.

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. ²³Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

“But as for me, I will sing of Your strength. Yes, I will sing with joy of Your loving-kindness in the morning. For You have been a strong and safe place for me in times of trouble.” Psalm 59:16 NLV

“Fill us in the morning with Your loving-kindness. Let us sing for joy and be glad all our days” Psalm 90:14 NLV

There was a song we used to sing at church and it often invades my morning quiet times. I goes something like this:

“In the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
in the morning when I rise,
give me Jesus.

Refrain:
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus.
You may have all this world, give me Jesus.”

My prayer is that as you start your day, your heart is filled with gratitude and praise!

March 21, 2023March 21, 2023

And the Peace of God…

…will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

There’s a lot going on today and I woke this morning with a start. After I said my good mornings to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I sat quietly gathering my thoughts and letting the Holy Spirit remind me of His presence and the Father’s faithfulness.

Oh yes, today is a day to focus on the goodness of God in every situation.

“Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again I say, be full of joy! ⁵Let all people see how gentle you are. The Lord is coming again soon. ⁶Do not worry. Learn to pray about everything. Give thanks to God as you ask Him for what you need. ⁷The peace of God is much greater than the human mind can understand. This peace will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.” Philippians 4:4-8 NLV

I will “camp” here today. Yesterday I was talking with a friend and I told her sometimes the Lord just brings a Scripture to mind and I know it’s what I’m supposed to be focused on. God is using it to make an impact in my heart. I call it camping on a verse.

You all know Dave and I love to camp. The big challenge is finding a camping spot that’s right. Right means level, not too rocky, some shade but also some direct sun. It’s finding a spot with a beautiful view and peaceful surroundings. That’s what these verses have become to my soul.

Yes, I’ll camp right here – here where I give thanks, here where peace fills my heart and mind. Here where I am reminded that God is trustworthy, His word is true, His ways are right. Here I can be aware of the Father’s love. These are the good things I will think about today.

Let the truth of God’s word bring peace to your heart!

March 12, 2023March 12, 2023

Eye on the Prize

My encouragement to you this morning is to keep your eye on the prize that is set before you; our life in Christ and the victory that brings.

Yesterday we watched the cars practice and then qualify for the race yesterday and the one today. Each driver is striving to do the very best they can personally.

That’s how it is with the Christian walk. We have to keep our eye on the goal and run our race with diligence – looking up to where we want to be. We don’t look back at the failures; the times we have fallen, if we do, they will keep us from succeeding. They will become weights that will hold us back.

Instead, we look at the prize before us; we remember those who have come along side to encourage us, the small victories, improving on our best and setting new goals.

“But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. 8 Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life.

12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. 13 My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.” Philippians 2:7-16 CEV

And then the writer of Hebrews gives us this racing analogy.

“Such a large crowd of witnesses is all around us! So we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go. And we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us. 2 We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete. He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross, because he knew that later on he would be glad he did. Now he is seated at the right side of God’s throne! 3 So keep your mind on Jesus, who put up with many insults from sinners. Then you won’t get discouraged and give up.” Hebrews 12:1-3 CEV

Keep going…don’t quit…keep your eyes on Jesus, He has empowered us to finish the race in victory!!

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023

Seeds of Promise

Since the beginning of the year, I have been sharing on the importance of planting the seed of God’s word in our lives. Jesus, Himself, said our hearts are like soil – some hard, some stony, some has thorns, and some is good and rich.

Yesterday I told you about the way my love for God’s word began. I encouraged you to read just a few verses a day but make those verses relevant, life changing. The Apostle Peter made a bold statement to Jesus. He said, “You have the words of life”. Absolutely true!

Since God’s word is seed and our hearts are soil, I want to help you plant your spiritual garden. We’ll start with seeds of joy, peace, protection, healing, forgiveness, strength and wisdom. Seeds that will grow and bring a harvest for the rest of your days.

Just pretend we are opening those packets of seeds you see in the store each Spring and planting them in your garden.

Peace: “God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you. 4 So trust the Lord always, because in the Lord Yah you have a place of safety forever.” Isaiah 26:3-4 ERV

Joy: “You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.” Psalm 16:11 CEV

Protection: “Live under the protection of God Most High and stay in the shadow of God All-Powerful. 2 Then you will say to the Lord, ‘You are my fortress, my place of safety; you are my God, and I trust you.’ 3 The Lord will keep you safe from secret traps and deadly diseases. 4 He will spread his wings over you and keep you secure. His faithfulness is like a shield or a city wall.” Psalm 91:1-4 CEV

Healing and Forgiveness: “My soul, praise the Lord! Every part of me, praise his holy name! 2 My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! 3 He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. 4 He saves us from the grave, and he gives us love and compassion. 5 He gives us plenty of good things. He makes us young again, like an eagle that grows new feathers.” Psalm 103:1-5 ERV

Strength: “Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

Wisdom: “If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking. 6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm. ” James 1:5-6 CEV

Help: “Praise the Lord! Every day he helps us with the loads we must carry. He is the God who saves us. Selah 20 He is our God, the God who saves us. My Lord God saves us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 ERV

These few verses are the seeds of life. Tend them well, they will produce an amazing harvest.

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023

In the Storm

Peace. Simply put: to be at rest. Some see it as the absence of confict but I want to show you that we can be at peace in the midst of a storm.

I’ve been reading in Luke for over a month now but the last few days I have been reading about the final days of Jesus life. He was celebrating the Feast of the Passover with his disciples. He told them that the broken bread and the wine represented what was about to happen to Him. He told them He would be betrayed.

Do you know their reaction? They began arguing about which one of them would do such a thing and then they began to argue about which one of them was the most important to Jesus.

Oh, my goodness!!! If I had been Jesus I would have left them all. But instead, Jesus began telling them that He was praying for them and gave them instruction on how to live once he was gone.

He took them to the garden where He went to pray. He told them they needed to pray so that they could remain strong. Jesus then withdrew, going a little farther and prayed for Himself. He knew what was about to happen.

In His humanity, He didn’t want to face the cross and the horrible death of crucifixion but in His divinity, He knew he was the only one who could be the sinless sacrifice. Only He could be the one to redeem us all and reconcile us to the Father.

“He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.” I John 2:2 NLT

He went through great conflict and turmoil in battling His mind and emotions but came to peace, He was resolved in His spirit!

When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss there was no ridicule or retaliation, when the soldiers were placing him under arrest there was no fight. He was at peace!

Jesus was living the words He spoke to the disciples hours earlier.

“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27 ERV

The Apostle Paul tells us this:

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Are you in the middle of a storm today – do you feel like you’re about to be crucified? Perhaps you’ve received an adverse medical report or it could be your company is planning massive layoffs and your future is uncertain. Whatever you are facing rely on the kind of peace that only God can give.

In the midst of the storm, don’t be troubled, don’t be afraid; let the peace of God control the way you think and feel.

February 17, 2023February 17, 2023

Living on Purpose

Did you wake up this morning and establish a purpose for your day or will you just “wing it”? Taking each day and giving it purpose is a rewarding way to live, even on those days when you seem to have no agenda at all.

This morning I would like to give you a few verses that came to mind as I was praying and hope that one of two of them will strike a chord with you. God’s word has a way of bringing direction even to the most common of days.

“This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. ” John 15:12 ERV

“Christ is the one who gives me the strength I need to do whatever I must do.” Philippians 4:13 ERV

“It is good for people to be kind and generous and to be fair in business.” Psalm 112:5 ERV

“I pray that God will take care of all your needs with the wonderful blessings that come from Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4:19 CEV

“Obeying your instructions brings as much happiness as being rich.” Psalm 119:14 CEV

“If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking.” James 1:5 CEV

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 CEV

Now, I ask you to please take the time to read those verses over again. Let one or two stick with you throughout the day.

I hope you find yourself drawing from God’s word today – I promise, it will give your day purpose!

February 15, 2023February 15, 2023

New Thinking

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when I shared the story of Mary and Martha with you? Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the “one thing” that was most important, listening to His teaching.

Each word that Jesus spoke, each word that was recorded, each word that is written in the Bible is for our instruction and benefit.

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” II Timothy 3:16 NLT

Jesus was teaching a large group of disciples and He told them that He was the bread of life. They thought Jesus was teaching cannibalism and instead of asking Him to explain further they got offended and walked away. Jesus asked His apostles if they were going to leave as well.

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life…⁶⁶At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. ⁶⁷Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” ⁶⁸Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:63-69 NLT

It would be easy to criticize those that walked away if it weren’t for one thing. I too have been offended at times by things I read in God’s word. Things like “judge not” or “how many times do I forgive, 70 x 7”. In my selfishness and hurt I have gone to the Scriptures to find justification for my actions and instead find correction – don’t gossip, forgive…again, be patient, love your enemies, be generous, don’t harbor grudges.

Sometimes we have to let God’s word simmer for a while. You know what I mean?

When I read a verse or a group of verses I don’t quite understand or that are pointing out an area of correction that I’m not quite willing to deal with, I let them sit in my heart and mind. I ask the Lord to give me understanding and insight and a desire to change. I want to be willing to let His word work the change in my heart that He desires.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. ⁴Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. ⁵You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had…¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:3-5,13 NLT

Focus on one thing today – thinking like Jesus! I can guarantee life will be fuller and more rewarding than ever before; it won’t be easy but it will be worth it!

January 30, 2023January 30, 2023

Added Strength

I sometimes wonder what it must have been like to be with Joshua and Caleb as they were crossing the Jordan River into the land God had promised.

They were the oldest members of the community, each one was eighty. Everyone was younger, but none seemed to have any more determination, strength of character or soundness of mind than they. They were respected leaders.

Where did this vitality come from? We find the answer in the Lord’s instructions to Joshua.

“Joshua, I will always be with you and help you as I helped Moses, and no one will ever be able to defeat you.

^6-8 Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.

⁹I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:5-9 CEV

A while back I found myself voicing concern that I didn’t have the strength I did as my younger self. It didn’t take long for me to realize that the Lord was about to correct me in my assessment. It’s never been about “my” strength anyway, it should always be about His ability working in me and through me.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. ³The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, ⁴ and protects us from death.
His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. ⁵Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle.” Psalm 103:2-5 CEV

There is still so much I know the Lord has for me, and for you too. It’s about drawing on the strength that He provides for each day, the strength of a young eagle. We all get weary, tired and need rest but our times of rest shouldn’t find us complaining about how tired and weary we are, they should be times of renewing and refueling by finding focusing on God’s word and His strength.

King David who wrote Psalm 103 was talking to himself, encouraging himself in all that God’s provides. One version of those verses says, “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all that is within me”!

In my words it would be “soul and mind get in line and look at all the marvelous things the Lord has done. He forgives my sins, heals my body, protects me crowns me with love and kindness. Each day He provides for my needs and gives me strength when I am lacking. I will certainly praise the Lord for that.”

“Christ gives me the strength to face anything.” Philippians 4:13 CEV

Start this new day, this new week, knowing the Lord has provided us with all the strength we need.

January 19, 2023January 19, 2023

Bitter Fruit

We have a beautiful orange tree at the back of our lot. The fruit grows large and has a beautiful color but we warn everyone not to pick or eat the fruit.

It’s full of thorns and bitter as medicine.

They are called an ornamental orange, many of them have been planted throughout the Phoenix valley because they look beautiful all year round. But to give you an idea of how bitter the fruit really is even the javelina won’t eat them. Personal experience tells me to leave them alone.

This morning I was focused again on prayer. I remember a time when I was bitterly complaining to the Lord about a situation that just wasn’t right. I may have even used a swear word or too when I was talking to Him.

What a sharp contrast to the words of one of our verses yesterday, “Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done”. There is no room in our relationship with the Lord for bitterness and complaining. He wants us to rid ourselves of this destructive behavior and focus on His goodness and provision.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. ³²Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 NLT

That doesn’t mean that we can’t or don’t come to the Lord when we are upset, angry, heartbroken or even complaining bitterly but what it does mean is that when we leave our prayer time we leave the bitterness and murmuring there. The Father knows our heartaches and disappointments so we can be honest with Him, asking for His help. Taking on an attitude of joy and thanksgiving because we know He has heard us and will intervene in our situation.

Murmuring is a lot like that ornamental orange tree. We can disguise it as concern or our desire to correct a wrong, making our complaining and criticism look good on the outside but inwardly there is bitterness.

“The Lord is right and good in all His ways, and kind in all His works. ¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. ¹⁹He will fill the desire of those who fear Him. He will also hear their cry and will save them. ” Psalm 145:17-19 NLV

When we pray about the things that bother us or are unjust He hears us and will save us. Our job is to let Him do it in His own way and with His best timing.

Let’s not be like that bitter orange but instead be a sweet fruit of joy.

January 18, 2023January 18, 2023

Saying Yes and Amen!

This morning I have just a few more verses to share with you on prayer. These are verses that have held me stable in my prayer life for years. First let’s take a look at what it means when we say “Amen” at the end of our prayer.

“The Son of God, Jesus Christ, the one that Silas, Timothy, and I told you about was not yes and no. In Christ it has always been yes. ²⁰The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ. And that is why we say “Amen” through Christ to the glory of God. ²¹And God is the one who makes you and us strong in Christ. God is also the one who chose us for his work.” II Corinthians 1:19-21 ERV

Because we are in Christ, we have God’s yes to all His promises. When we say AMEN, we are agreeing with Christ and saying “let it be so”. We are affirming what the Father has said and what the Son has done. We are affirming that we have been given God’s great and precious promises.

“By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. ⁴And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” II Peter 1:3-4 NLT

These great and precious promises are ours because of Jesus. We have no claim to them on our own but only through Christ. But since we are in Christ, these promises are part of our inheritance from the Father. He has lavished these gifts, the promises in His word on us, by His grace.

We don’t earn them. We can’t work for them or obtain them on our own. We receive them as expressions of the Father’s love.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT

Our salvation is the greatest answer to prayer. If there was ever anything that we are unworthy to ask for it would be the grace of God that makes us new. Yet, when we ask to be cleansed and forgiven the Father lovingly removes all our sin and restores us to right relationship.

That’s why we have such confidence when we pray. We can thank Him for all He has done – adopting us as His own and that gives us peace, freedom from worry when we come now asking for what we need.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 NLT

Don’t let prayer be a religious habit. Pray for the heart. Give the Father a hearty amen, let it be so!