June 10th, 20

UNE 11,  God Meets Us in the Midst of It.

Song of Solomon 5 - 8 and Philippians 1

God meets us In the midst of our struggle, suffering, and disappointments.  Those are the final words of Paul in Philippians 1.  Verse 30 says, We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

God is still meeting him, right there in the the midst of it.  And God is encouraging us to meet each other here in the midst of it, too.  God enables us to live as citizens of heaven, loved and purchased by God, in the midst of all of life’s struggles.  In verse 6 Paul says these important words, 

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

God is working within you, in the midst of it.  That’s the Good News - God working with us, meeting us, completing us, amid all that life throws at us. In the midst of everything God is in you, - your hope and glory.  This reality produces joy in Paul, and can do the same for us, in our lives.  It produces the changed lives we desire, here and now.  Verse 11 says, 

May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

In the midst of it, he’s meeting us, transforming and completing our lives - our very character, as we live out the life of Christ in us, now.  

Allow God’s Spirit to meet and complete you.  Find his joy and let that joy be your strength, right there in the midst of all that life throws at you

You are loved!