“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”  (Philippians 4:4)

Joy is not happiness.  Being happy is an emotion; joy is a place of being.  In the Lord, regardless the immediate circumstances, you have hope and a future.  You therefore have joy.  Your joy cannot be taken from you.  Live then having your joy rekindled day after day.  The world would steal your hope, but the Lord reminds you that your hope is in Him and He is forever.

Lord, teach me each morning to look to You and be reminded that You have given me all hope.  Guide me in Your goodness so that I may begin each day thanking You for the gifts You continuously give.  In You Lord is all hope and a future.  That future is assured because You have given Your promise and You only need to promise once.  Let me rejoice in Your grace and mercy.

Lord Jesus, grace Incarnate who gave His life that we may live, let us rejoice in the gift You have given so that we all may have abundant life.  In You Lord is hope and the only future worth living.  Lead me this day according to the Father’s purpose so that I would abide richly in You as You teach me how to rejoice in this day.  Let me learn how to always rejoice in Your goodness and mercy.  Amen.

“I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.  Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3).

Living in this world is rough.  We are not to turn on one another, but seek to look forward and remember the admonition of the Lord to live in peace.  Seek then the righteousness of the Lord and know that in Him there is hope and an eternal future.  He will accomplish through all things that which He has purposed.  The Lord has written the names of those who are His in His Book of Life.

Lord, through the fog of this world, Your Word speaks truth with clarity.  Help me to see the truth You have spoken.  Guide me in all goodness so that I may now and always live according to Your Word.  Through You and in You is all hope.  You have given us the community, the fellowship which surrounds all witnesses.  Lead me ever more deeply into all of the gifts You have given me.

Lord Jesus, in You alone is all hope.  Help me now and forever to see that in You is the goodness and mercy I need.  Sometimes You use Your servants to be Your goodness and mercy.  Help me rejoice in the communion of saints and know that You are the One who is knitting all things together according to the Father’s will.  Lead me this day so that I may look to You with all thankfulness.  Amen.

“Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved” (Philippians 4:1).

The world is constantly moving.  It really is moving in circles if anyone takes the time to see.  There is nothing new under the sun.  But most people do not pay attention and so, driven by sin and calling it good, the circles continue.  But you have been called by God out of the insanity of this world to join with Him for eternity.  Will you stand?  Will you stand firm?  Or will you be tossed about?

Lord, this world is crazy.  People rush about and for what?  People are doing what has been done before and failed, but they think it is a new thing.  Help me to see through these things and then to look to You for all guidance.  Teach me how to stand firm.  Teach me how to be unmoved by the wickedness of this world.  Teach me how to be like You that I would learn eternity.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister in my heart so that the gift of grace purchased by Jesus would richly dwell in me.  Come, Holy Spirit, and open my eyes to see all truth.  Let me not be carried away by the insanity of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind in You.  Through all things that come my way, shape me into the image of Christ.  Guide me according to Your purpose now and forever.  Amen.

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

By what power?  By the power that has created all things.  And what will He do?  Create in us His likeness for the promised eternity.  And what is that likeness?  A child of God.  Do you begin to see what God is up to?   Do you begin to understand that the Lord is calling You to be with Him and in Him now and forever.  This is what He has been up to since the garden of Eden and you are invited.

Lord, so many around me seem to be focused upon themselves.  They are their own god.  I too have this problem.  Release me from this bondage so that I may live into the life You have called for me to live.  Guide me in the way of salvation in order that I would reject the tired untrue way of the world to live what is eternal.  Lord, You know all that is needed.  Help me through these things to live in You.

Lord Jesus, Savior of the world, You have sent Your Spirit that all who see the light would rejoice in You and You in them.  Guide me today, Lord, so that I would walk humbly with You in the light You shine on me.  Lead me in Your power in order that I may be transformed by and in You.  Through all things, help me to see more clearly each and every day.  You are Sovereign and I am Your creation.  Amen.

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things” (Philippians 3:18-19).

What is it to be an enemy to the cross?  It is to reject the cross and take on a form of religion that mirrors, but without substance, what Christ does through the cross.  When Christ bids you follow Him, He bids you come to the cross and die to sin.  The old Adam must die.  If one is not sold out to Christ, then they continue in the rebellion against God; this is what happened in Genesis three.

Lord, I cannot win the fight the world fights.  No one will.  Even You had to pay with Your life to redeem those who would surrender to You.  Lead me, O Lord, in the way of the cross so that I would never compromise the gift You have given through Your blood.  Let me become a theologian of the cross in order that I may have the life You give through grace.  Guide me by Your light.

Lord Jesus, You have come so that we may have life and have it abundantly.  But it is not just a good life here, but preparation though the cross for eternal life.  Lord, You are the Savior and I must be saved.  Save me first from myself.  Then lead me where I need to go in order that I would humbly walk in the faith You have given me.  Guide me, O Lord, according to Your goodness and mercy.  Amen.

“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us” (Philippians 3:17).

If you are willing to look, you will see those who walk in the way of Christ.  You will also see those whom you think might be faking it.  You and I are not the judge, but Jesus did tell us to pay attention to the fruits.  Observe those who walk by faith and follow their example.  Walk in the way of Jesus and walk in the way of life.  God knows every man’s heart and knows those who walk in faith.

Lord, Your judgment pierces every heart. You know.  You just know.  Let me never be among those who are faking it.  I will sin, this I know.  I will fall short and this is true.  But never let me go to the place where I pretend in front of You who knows.  Let my heart be willing to confess all sin and be holy in Your presence.  Guide me ever deeper in this faith so that I may show that faith in all I do.

Lord Jesus, You have come to save those who will look to You.  Guide me, O Lord, in order that I may walk in the newness of life that You give.  Let me be the genuine and real deal so that I may never be caught trying to fake my fsith.  It is not possible and I do not ever want to try.  Lead me to be genuine in faith, true in intent, and holy in the Father’s presence which can come through Your atoning blood alone.  Amen.

“Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained” (Philippians 3:15-16).

You may have come far, or just a little way, in the obedience that comes with being a disciple.  It is not a matter of receiving a progress report, but of holding the line at not going back to the old way of life.  Live into the life for which You have been called.  Be guided by the goodness and mercy which is yours in Christ.  Do not allow God’s standards to be replaced with the world’s standards.

Lord, You have laid down the boundaries and they are written in my heart.  The world is constantly fighting against Your boundaries and trying to replace them with their own.  Help me to hold fast to what I know is true.  Help me to see the truth that only You know all that is needed.  The world seeks destruction, but You have brought the gift of eternal life.  Let me live into the life You give.

Lord Jesus, You are the gift and Your life was given so that we might have true life.  Help me live into the life You have given me.  Guide me away from the false things the world offers that I may be guided by You.  Lead me always in the direction I need to go and guide me by Your unchanging principles.  In You Lord is the hope of the ages, for You are God the Savior who saves all who believe.  Amen.

“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Do not dwell on what has gone on before.  Yes, you have sinned and there is no excuse, only grace and mercy avail.  Be guided by the call before you that in becoming like Christ, you are being prepared and created for what you will be.  In Him is life and that life is before you and not behind you.  Through thick and thin, press on toward the goal of the upward prize of life in the One who made you.

Lord, I am often tempted to look behind and dwell on the past.  Lift my eyes to You that I would look forward and see that in You, the Creator of all life, is the hope of the ages.  Help me to press forward when I stumble knowing that all in this life will prepare me in one way or another to be in and with You in eternity.  Let me never stop growing in faith, but always keep my eyes upon You when I stumble.

Lord Jesus, You are the model of godly life.  You have come so that I may have life and have it abundantly.  Guide me, O Lord, in the way of truth in order that I would now and forever live in and through You.  You are creating what You are creating and only in You will I be made complete.  Give me the strength I need to press on and through whatever will come my way this day.  Amen. 

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12).

Some seem to act as though they were perfect already.  Some seem to think of these things as some kind of grading system and that they are in the upper portion.  The Lord is doing what the Lord does.  Do not worry so much about how others are doing, just love them.  Act as the least of your brothers and sisters, serving all others as though they were greater.  Is this not what Jesus did?  Press on as one who has not yet attained the prize.

Lord, help me to see that I will not attain eternal life in the full until the final day when I shall be raised and stand before You.  Help me understand that each day is its own challenge and that I must press on until the final day.  Put into my heart those things that are needed so that I may be guided by You and what You know I need in order to continue the upward journey of this call You have given me.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being enabled by Your grace to walk humbly with You.  It is not a matter of overcoming, for You alone have done that for me, but about being conformed to Your image.  Lead me, O Lord, so that I may now and always walk according to the Father’s will.  Lead me where I need to go and give me the heart to press on toward the prize of eternal life in You.  Amen.

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

Not obtain, but attain.  What is the difference?  We shall all be raised in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last day.  But not all shall be raised with Christ in a resurrection like His.  Those who have loved the Lord will receive in themselves the resurrection like Christ and the others will be raise for condemnation.   The Lord is at work.  Is He at work in you?

Lord, help me to pay attention to the little things so that I may be guided by Your Word and walk according to Your will.  Lead me, O Lord, in order that I may attain the resurrection You have prepared for me in Christ.  Help me not waver as many in this world do, but to walk boldly in the truth of Your presence and purpose.  Help me Lord through the difficulties of this age so that I may always stand firm in the faith You give.

Lord Jesus, You are the way and there is no other way beside You.  You have been glorified through Your death and resurrection and have invited us to join You.  Help me today to be raised up for good works so that I may do what is pleasing in the Father’s eyes.  Help me now and always to humbly walk behind You and in Your example.  Grant all that I need for this day is to do Your will.  Amen.