Surprise Greetings

Meditations for Ragamuffins 

March 4, 2024

Surprise Greetings

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever.

Philippians 4:19-20

Philippians 4: 14-23                                                                      

I love verse 19. After Paul has cataloged all the many ways God has met his every need, he then assures his friends (and us), “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). God will meet your needs out of His riches in glory in Jesus! Is any need in your life too big for God to meet?

Paul follows this awesome promise with a simple benediction, “To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever” (Philippians 4:20). It seems the letter has concluded. But wait! There’s more!

If I were to write a musical score for Chapter 4, it would begin slowly, and then with each passage it would build until it reached the dramatic and surprising climax in verse 22. The score would build momentum through Paul’s encouragement to rejoice, pray, seek peace, focus my life on the things of God, follow the example of Paul, experience peace, and be content. The score reaches its highest point at “I can do everything through Christ,” then slows a bit before reaching a high again at “all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen” (Philippians 4: 13, 20).

But Paul wasn’t finished! The music will continue in anticipation that something else is coming, and then you see it. “All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22). Caesar’s household sends greetings to the church in Philippi!

Paul’s new community of believers has reached the most unlikely of places: Caesar’s household. Paul had asked his friends to pray for him, that he would boldly proclaim Christ even from his jail cell. This simple verse is a testimony that God honored Paul’s prayer request, and it is a towering reminder that God can use all of us exactly where we are.

My Takeaway: The fields are ripe and ready for harvest, now, if only we would see with the eyes of Jesus, if only we would love with the heart of Jesus. 

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2024 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.