Theme for this week: “Moving On”
December 31, 2021 (Friday)
Paul’s view of his future was optimistic, because his life had been totally committed to Christ. To him, as he said, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If he were here with us on this last day of 2021, he would gladly promise to serve Christ with all his heart in 2022. Can we make the same commitment today?
Let’s read again Philippians 4:13-14 (NIV): But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” Try to think of what Paul wrote like this: He is writing as a runner in the race of life. He left the starting line behind, is heading for the finish line, straining toward reaching it and looking forward to His Heavenly reward. This gives us a great illustration of Paul’s life as a Christian serving the Lord.
Paul is in prison and people think he has reached the finish line, but no, not yet. He will be freed from prison and will resume his missionary work for a few years before finally reaching the end of the race. He is still hard at work and mindful of the goal: reaching Heaven and hearing Christ’s commendation, “Well done.”
The goal mentioned by Paul brings up his use of the word, “Prize.” He is thinking about Heaven. He is still ready to serve, and will be freed from prison and will serve several more years, but he has been at the task 33 years, suffering many hardships, ever since Christ met him on the road to Damascus and called him as His servant.
As he contemplates his life as a race, the finish line will be his death and the goal will be the welcome by Christ and hearing Him say, “Well done.” You and I are also children of the Lord if we have accepted Jesus as Savior, and, hopefully, we can be called “servants of the Lord.” Without comparing ourselves in any way with Paul, our journey is also like a race that will end at a finish line when the goal has been reached and we hear Christ welcome us home to Heaven. We will all meet Christ face to face, and when that happens we will understand that there can be no greater prize than that meeting itself.
Face to Face
Words by Carrie E. Breck
Music by Grant C. Tullar
1898
Refrain:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by!
Verses:
Face to face with Christ, my Savior,
Face to face–what will it be,
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ who died for me?
Refrain
Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkened veil between,
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.
Refrain
What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
Death is swallowed up in vict’ry,
And the dark things shall be plain.
Refrain
Face to face–oh, blissful moment!
Face to face–to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ who loves me so.
Refrain