Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Daily Nugget is a weekday devotional written by Pastor Jim Sole. We hope you find encouragement, guidance, and conviction unto holiness through the scriptures and commentary.
Imagine I am your next door neighbor or co-worker who works closely with you. I am not a Christian. I know nothing at all about Christianity. I have never read the Bible; never attended a church; and never met a Christian until I met you. This is not far-fetched, it is very close to reality. I can tell you there is a generation among us just like it was in the book of Acts. They know nothing about Christianity, Christ, or the Bible. Start reaching out and talk to people about Christianity. Get involved in sharing the Gospel. You will see what the Lord said is true, “The harvest is great” (Luke 10:2). Now back to our story . . .
In one sentence, how would you describe the Apostle Paul based exclusively on today’s scripture (Philippians 3:7-11)? As you consider your description, here is my one sentence . . . “The Apostle Paul was a man so changed by Jesus Christ that everything in his life was affected and became centered on Him.” And really, does that not describe a Christian? When Jesus Christ reveals Himself and enters into the life of a person, two words tell us what happens – “radically changed.”
Here are three things I want us to do with today’s nugget. First, stop thinking about all that we must do today; the responsibilities, tasks, demands and their associated anxieties, worries, and stresses. The next thing to do with today’s nugget is think about our relationship with Jesus Christ. The final thing to do in reading this nugget is to think on seeing Jesus Christ face-to-face or ponder today’s scripture – “Your eyes will behold the King in His beauty”.
I remember all those long days of training while in the Navy. We would go to sea and run drill after drill; training activity after training activity, and all to prepare the crew to deploy to places where hostilities might occur. And to arrive at the optimum state of readiness, the training was little by little over an extended period of time. We didn’t just train one day and were good to go. No. It was slow, tedious, and each drill built upon each other.
Proverbs 1:7 – The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. THEME OF THE DAY. LIVING AS OVERCOMERS. Nothing will come into our lives today which caught God off guard. Nothing will happen to us that doesn’t have a Divine Hand guiding it. No tough circumstance will develop that isn’t coming from the loving heart…
Ephesians 4:1-3 – I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. THEME OF THE DAY. DELIGHTFUL COMPANY. I grew up…