New Every Morning

I've been working on Philippians chapter two recently. That's a passage that God has used at notable times in my past to speak to me about specific things. There was the time in college when I was grudgingly helping my roommate with a time-consuming task. As I waited for her to complete an errand, I decided to read my little New Testament. The first verse my eyes fell on was Philippians 2:14, "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."

On another day, I was feeling overwhelmed with the task at hand and feared that I would not be able to do all that was required of me. That's when I underlined Philippians 2:13, "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." I knew then that I could indeed accomplish whatever it was that God meant for me to do.

This week, driving to school--a great time, by the way, to meditate on scripture-- I went over the chapter again on the hills and curves of Bill Reed Road. In this section of scripture, Paul is encouraging the Philippians to work together in Christian love. As a method of helping them adopt the proper attitude of humility, he reminds them of some of the benefits of a Christian life: "consolation in Christ ,. . . comfort of love, . . . fellowship of the Spirit, . . . affection and mercy."

As I mentally reviewed these four blessings, I remembered when I had seen them in my life: finding just the right word of guidance in Scripture, experiencing unexplained comfort at a funeral, enjoying laughter around the table at Wednesday night Bible study, breathing a sigh of relief when my Christian boss told me, "We can cut you some slack this time." (You can all join me in asking God to bless that good man.)

Scripture never grows old. Like God's mercy, it is new every morning.  Living in a community where God's word is our common belief  means that we often discover God speaking to us and meeting our needs through His people. Whatever problems I face today, there is help and comfort to be found, sometimes in very familiar places.

--Sherry Poff