COFFEE DEVOTION – Phil. 3:1-11

Rise and shine. Better pour yourself a cup of coffee or hot tea before you begin your COFFEE DEVOTION on Philippians 3:1-11. You will want to be alert as you spend time with the Lord in Bible study and prayer this morning. This portion of Philippians is a little theological so we will only concentrate on a few verses.

We are focusing on the word “JOY” as we study the book of Philippians. The apostle Paul begins chapter 3 by “rejoicing in the Lord”. We shall read a little further to find out what he rejoices in and why. I hope you are using a journal to record your answers. If you memory is short like mine, you will quickly forget what you have studied. I can remember much better when I write things down, then go back over them at a later time.

1. Read Philippians 3:1-11
2. Where does Paul not place his confidence in verses 3-6?
3. How does Paul feel about his social status in verse 7?
4. Where does he place his value in verse 8?
5. Where does Paul’s righteousness come from in verse 9?

In these scriptures Paul gives a lengthy description of his social status, his education, and job description. He was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” or of the elite crowd. He would have been in the popular crowd at the top school. Let me ask you where are your loyalties? Are you laying up treasures on earth or in heaven? If you want to have joy unspeakable and full of glory, then you must learn to rejoice in the Lord and Him alone.

Real JOY will not come from our education, athletic ability, musical talent or social status. Even when we think we are the best at something, there is always someone better. If we place our hope in the things of the world, we can be disappointed, sometimes jealous, envious and left feeling empty. The heavy use of social media alone can leave you feeling left out and unimportant. People can let you down, someone else will get the job, or you won’t get invited to the party.

Place your HOPE in Jesus. He will never leave you or forsake you. When your loyalty is in the right place, you will have JOY. Pray that the Lord will help you rejoice in Him alone. If you have difficulty letting the things of the world go, then ask the Lord help you surrender these over to Him. It is not that education, talents and attending a great school are wrong, but we might have placed them above the Lord.