Daily Devotional For Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Good day. As you have embarked into 2025, consider the Apostle Paul’s words found in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus” (CSB). His words reflect our lives at times. Most of us have unfinished tasks, projects, degrees etc. We have goals to complete. Sometimes it is our schedule or circumstances beyond our control or even laziness that keeps us from finishing these things.
Paul is writing to the Philippian Christians from Rome, where he was under house arrest for his persistent evangelism. By this time, he had accomplished so much, and suffered so much, that it would have been easy to become puffed up with pride, then complacency and even laziness. He had worked so hard to establish churches all over the Roman Empire while at the same time writing letters to many of them to encourage and teach them.
But Paul admitted that he had not yet reached his goal of completely knowing Christ in the power of His resurrection and fellowship of His sufferings. Look at his words in Philippians 3:10, “My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (CSB). Even though He was imprisoned for spreading the good news about Jesus!
Paul knew that the race he was running would not end until he drew his last breath. He was perhaps in the loneliest season of his life and his future seemed bleak, yet he was determined to keep moving ahead in his journey toward spiritual maturity. Let’s make that our goal, too. Paul’s dream was to become so much like Christ that he would experience everything in the same Christ did. And even in prison, Paul was not letting up on that goal. You have to realize that Roman prisons were not the clean and safe prisons we have today. They were filled with bacteria, rats, the stench of human waste and death. Yet in the midst of these circumstances, the Apostle Paul was not about to quit or give up his dread.
“Field of Dreams is a movie about baseball, pursuing a dream, and choosing life's priorities. Half way through the film, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, travels back in time to meet with Doc Graham, played by Burt Lancaster. Doc had been a rookie ballplayer who made it to the big leagues for one season, only to play for half an inning—never making a defensive play, never getting to bat.
The two men walk into Doc's office speaking wistfully about the joy and beauty of the game of baseball, the smell of leather, and the sound of the crowd. Yet, after his half-inning on the brink of glory, Doc had walked away from baseball, choosing to live out the rest of his days doctoring in his hometown. His chief regret: If only he could have gotten to bat, just once, he would have stood strong at the plate, looked the pitcher right in the eye and winked. How he would have enjoyed that! Just once.
Yet he walked away. Why? "I couldn't bear the thought of another year in the minors," says Doc. "So I decided to hang 'em up." "What was that like?" Ray asks. "It was like coming this close to your dreams and watching them brush past you like a stranger in a crowd. At the time you don't think much of it. We just don't recognize the most significant moments of our lives while they're happening. Back then I thought: Well, there will be other days. I didn't realize that was the only day."
"Fifty years ago you came so close," says Ray. "It would kill some men to get that close to their dream and not touch it. They'd consider it a tragedy." "Son, if I'd only gotten to be a doctor for half an inning, now that would have been a tragedy” (Source: Field of Dreams).
You have entered 2025, let’s keep going. Let’s keep pressing on and looking to the Lord, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in just like the Apostle Paul did. The New Year is when many people make New Year’s Resolutions. How about for 2025, make one to keep growing, maturing and pressing on to become more and more like Jesus Christ?
Questions To Consider
- What are some dreams you have not finished and why?
- The Apostle Paul knew his life would soon end. Rome would execute him by beheading, but he was not about to let that stop him or slow him down. Where do you think he got the motivation to keep going and why?
- How about for 2025, have a dream or make it a goal to grow more in your relationship with Christ no matter what? What would you need to do to accomplish that and why?
Scripture To Meditate On: Hebrews 6:1a, “Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity” (CSB).
Prayer To Pray: “Heavenly Father, You have uniquely blessed me—the best is yet to come. You have heard my prayers, healed my body spiritually, and delivered me from oppression. If I look at the things being shaken around me, I can be filled with terror. But when I look to Your eternal Kingdom, I am filled with anticipation. Therefore, I am determined that I will not stop! In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly