If. . .Then
Philippians 2:19, Devotional #1

If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon. Then when he comes back, he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along.
Philippians 2:19

Father, as I ponder this verse, it hits me that surely Paul wanted to send Timothy to Philippi - but he didn't. Why not? For some reason he did not sense that You were willing for him to send Timothy. His decision as to whether or not he would send Timothy depended on Jesus' willingness. That is worth the pause, worth the ponder. How do we make decisions? Do we consider that Jesus is involved enough in our lives to think of His desire for our actions?  I remember at the turn of the millennium one of the questions asked on radio talk shows was, "Who was the most influential person to have lived during the last millennium? Answers came: Martin Luther, the great Christian who brought about the Reformation, Gutenberg who invented the printing press." And then one person said, "Jesus. Jesus was the most influential person to have lived in the past millennium, the first millennium, and will be the most influential person to live in the forever millennium."  And that is the reality: Christ is alive even today.

So, how do we allow Him to impact our daily decisions?  How do we allow Him to lead whatever it is we do?  Is He an integral part of our daily walk, talk, and life?  If He is, then may we live according to that truth in every area of our lives. Father, Jesus is alive today and He lives in His people. May we, like Paul, consider what He wants in all our lives and dealings!  Come Holy Spirit!

Thank you, Father, in Jesus name. Amen.

Love, Dad / Danny