Devotional:
Hello Church Family! This is the day that the Lord has made! Day 17 of prayer and fasting. Paradoxical Truths -First will be last and last will be first -Servant Leadership—the greatest among you will be your servant. -Giving is better than receiving. -When I am weak, then I am strong. -Loss brings about gain. It is this last paradox that I’d like to talk about today. It can be said another way: I must die to live. John the Baptist said, Jesus must increase, and I must decrease. Philippians 3:7-10 NKJV – 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. Years ago I adopted Philippians 3:10 as my life verse. That I may know Him. Have you experienced the power of the Resurrection? Most recently I’ve experienced this power in abundance. I’m unable to explain it fully because what I’ve received is supernatural and it transcends human understanding. I suffered great loss when my wife of over 47 years was taken from me. Suddenly, life as I knew it stopped. Everything changed. I was alone but God was with me. The quiet was deafening but I was able to hear the Lord’s voice. I had to do all the things that Lonnie and I did as a partnership now by myself, but Jesus was there with me. In my grief many people stepped into my life in greater measures to support me. I’m very grateful! In my loss I gained supernatural assurance and strength. I know where Lonnie is and that is so comforting! Above all else I was able to overcome sadness and loss with the gift of peace from my Lord. It is truly paradoxical! Through loss I have received great gain—that is, knowing Him and His power more fully. In my loss I was positioned to find the true Treasure in greater fullness. I want to encourage everyone today to not turn inward when you experience loss. Look upward. Seek Him and you will find Him. Trust Him. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. He is waiting for you right now. Truly, everything should be counted as rubbish in comparison to gaining Christ. In Him you will find rest for your souls, divine peace, and power to triumph over loss.
Questions:
1. Are you experiencing the power of the Resurrection on a regular basis?
2. Are you finding Jesus to be your sufficiency after suffering loss?
3. Are you seeking the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength?
Prayer:
O Lord, I want to experience Your divine power in my life. Teach me to recognize loss as gain because in it I find You. When I experience loss help me to seek your face with all my being. I know you love me and want the best for me. Use my troubles to build my character and refine me. I know that you never waste suffering. In fact, suffering brings about glory. I choose to glorify You, Jesus. Thank you for dying for me and providing resurrection power in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. This is the official YouTube channel of Cornerstone Church. Our mission at Cornerstone is to guide you in building a personal relationship with God.
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