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Poured Out

Poured Out

Words of Faith 8-21-19

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2019

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Philippians 2

[17] But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. [18] So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

 

Someone once suggested that if we do not have anything in our lives worth dying for, we may not have very much worth living for. The Apostle Paul seems to echo that truth, or at least live it out.

He had crossed over that boundary. His life was an act of pouring out. He had set aside a brilliant religious career, turned aside from family and friends, and veered into the uncharted world of communicating an emerging Christian Gospel to the Gentiles. The pursuit of that mission had caused him to risk life, limb, shipwreck, and beatings.

Now, Paul was confined to a Roman prison, waiting for a chance to plead his case before Rome. But far from being defeated, he was thrilled. Every day of the wait was a victory as another guard was assigned to him and heard the Gospel of Jesus from one of the most compelling voices in history.

Paul was certain that, even if this incarceration ended in the worst, it would still be the best. Paul was confident that, if his own death was near, it would not be something taken from him. He would be a "drink offering" poured out, and honored to do so.

The allusion here was to a special offering that was part of his Jewish heritage. Wine was poured upon an altar, willingly offered to God. Such a sacrifice was a time of rejoicing, not grieving. So he invites his old Philippian friends to rejoice with him.

Fortunately, most of us do not live in a time or climate where our lives are called for. But we don't have to physically die in order to be poured out for our Lord. Our call is more often to simpler sacrifices. We may be called to set aside our agenda briefly, our goals for a time, or our deadline for today. We are called to be poured out in the sacrifice of our time, energy, and attention.

Strangely, these seem to be the more difficult sacrifices to make. On any given day, the Lord Jesus probably hears the response from Christian followers: "If you want me to DIE, let me know, but I don't think I have time for anything else..." We would probably die in a minute for Jesus, but we struggle over something like a tithe. We would go to battle for the faith, but we will not stop to encourage a co-worker.

For Paul, "working out our salvation with fear (reverence) and trembling" was absolutely practical. Rejoicing in the pouring out of our lives, not for just any good Christian cause, not even for the church, but for the call, He puts upon us.

The only difference we can make is today. The only life we can pour out is our own. How about it? Will you and I be willing to be poured out, our time, talent and energy, not for good causes but for the call of Jesus? That is something to rejoice in.

 

Lord, I am not able to do much. But I am available. I am listening. Speak to me today, and I will be poured out for You. Work out Your wholeness in me with rejoicing. In Jesus name.

 

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, and our website, and our church app, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.  

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