Shalom,
Today I want to share Kenneth E. Hagin's "Faith Food" devotional!
Our
Choice
For to me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my
labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two,
having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this
confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your
furtherance and joy of faith. —
PHILIPPIANS 1:21-25
Paul is
talking here about physical death. Of course, the real Paul, the
inner man, is not going to die. He’s going to go on living either way:
departing and being with Christ, or abiding in the flesh.
Paul said
he hadn’t decided yet. “I’m in a strait,” he said, “between the two.
I want to go on and be with Christ, which is far better.” (If Paul had just
said it would be better, that would have been wonderful, but he said it’s even
better than better!) Then he said, “Yet I know to abide in the flesh is more
needful for you.” If Paul was present in the flesh, he could teach and minister
to these people. That was more needful for them.
Notice
that Paul is making the choice. He didn’t say, “I’m going to leave it
up to God, and whatever God chooses, I will accept.”
We have
more to do with deciding to live or die than we have thought!
Confession: The
real me is an eternal spirit being.
AMEN! Here is Brooke Ligertwood with "Bless God":
Shalom in Him!