Philippians 3:4b-14 - Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the Law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Imagine this: There you are, sitting in a room surrounded by your dearest treasures. This might be actual money—piles of gold and silver—or it might be cherished heirlooms from your family. It might be a special collection you've been working on your whole life. Whatever it is, it's your pride and joy.
And then the word comes: Jesus is here! Come out to meet Him! If you heard that and you knew it was true, wouldn't you jump up and leave everything behind? Who cares about the treasures now! Our best treasure outside, and He's waiting for you!
That's the way Paul feels about all the advantages of his life. Because he definitely had advantages—the best education money could buy; Roman citizenship; impeccable Jewish ancestry; and a stellar reputation for being pious and religious. Who could ask for more?
Paul could. We could. Because nothing compares to Jesus, our Savior. Nothing compares to the One who loves us so much He came down from heaven to find us, to seek us out and bring us home to God's kingdom. Nothing compares to the One who lay down His own life to make us His own, so that we will share His resurrection life and joy. If we have Jesus, we have everything. That is enough for us.
WE PRAY: Dearest Lord, keep my eyes and my heart set on You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
1. Name one thing that you hold very dear (apart from Jesus!).
2. Are there any things in your life which might elbow Jesus out of the highest place in your love?
3. How can you stay ready to "leave it all" if necessary for Jesus' sake?
Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 59-61 Romans 11:19-36
To Download Devotion MP3 to your computer, right click here and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File As"