EVERY GOOD THING WE HAVE IN CHRIST                     

 

Philemon 6 says, “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.”

 

The New International Version of this verse says, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.”

 

It is important to recognize that in Christ we many good things.  However, struggles and challenges we face in our lives often cloud our vision and may cause us to be unable to see “every good thing we have in Christ.” 

 

We are living in some challenging times.  We are confronting some obstacles today that we never thought we would ever have to face.  This past week as I was dealing with some of these things, I remembered Romans 8:37.  This verse says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” 

 

Now most of the time, I would be happy just to be a “conqueror.”  But the verse declares that we are more than a conqueror.  I want to point out that the verse does not say that we will always “feel” like more than a conqueror.  But that does not prevent us from taking possession of the verse and claiming it as a reality.  

 

During our ministry here at Community Assembly of God of San Francisco, my husband and I confronted various challenges.  There were a number of years when we struggled to survive financially.  We often felt discouraged and defeated.  However, my husband would repeatedly remind me of Joel 2:21.  This verse says, “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.”  My husband often used this verse as a text when he preached.

 

We embraced the truth of this verse.  We continued to be steadfast in seeking the Lord.  We were consistently faithful in tithing and in giving offerings even though we did not see much improvement in our circumstances.  We struggled for a number of years.  At one point it appeared that we were going to lose our house, but we were conscious that the Lord was watching over us during that time.  Eventually, we experienced the reality of Joel 2:21.  We saw the Lord do some great things.  And we were able to acknowledge “every good thing we have in Christ.”

 

Rev. Mary E. Stewart, pastor

Community Assembly of God of San Francisco

Devotional for September 3 through September 9, 2010