Christian Devotional – May 10, 2017

Philippines 3:1-11 shares with us some interesting ideas about Paul’s background. He starts off by telling us to rejoice and the importance of rejoicing and everything. He tells us to rejoice and says that he will tell us that several times. We often need a reminder about rejoicing because when we are going through difficult things we forget that God has called us to rejoice in him.

Then Paul goes on to explain his background, his heritage. He grew up knowing and understanding the rituals of what it took to please God. And he did all of them. Yet he still found himself not meeting God’s expectations. No matter what we try to do on our own and no matter how good we are at trying to do it. We simply cannot live up to what God has for us. God Is Bigger and greater and more holy and more righteous than anything that we can comprehend and as a result, we must respond to his call through Jesus Christ. We simply cannot be what he wants us to be on our own. All the things that we have done to try to earn the love of God and try to earn our righteousness are simply worthless to him. There is nothing that we can do that would be considered righteous to him.

Are we seeking Christ and Christ Alone? Only through him and his righteousness can we come to the place where we know and understand and love God.