Read: Philippians 1:21–26
Bible in a Year: 2 Kings 13–14; John 2
I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Philippians 1:23–24
An elderly woman named Violet sat on her bed in a Jamaican
infirmary and smiled as some teenagers stopped to visit with her. The
hot, sticky, midday air came into her little group home unabated, but
she didn’t complain. Instead, she began wracking her mind for a song to
sing. Then a huge smile appeared and she sang, “I am running, skipping,
jumping, praising the Lord!” As she sang, she swung her arms back and
forth as if she were running. Tears came to those around her, for Violet
had no legs. She was singing because, she said, “Jesus loves me—and in
heaven I will have legs to run with.”
Violet’s joy and hopeful anticipation of heaven give new vibrancy to
Paul’s words in Philippians 1 when he referred to life-and-death issues.
“If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for
me,” he said. “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be
with Christ, which is better by far” (vv. 22–23).
Each of us faces tough times that may cause
us to long for the promise of heavenly relief. But as Violet showed us
joy despite her current circumstances, we too can keep “running,
skipping, praising the Lord”—both for the abundant life He gives us here
and for the ultimate joy that awaits us.
Lord, when times are tough, help me to find joy. Help us to live in the tough times of this world with happiness while looking ahead to something “better by far.”
When God gives us a new beginning, we find a joy that’s never ending.
© 2017 Our Daily Bread Ministries
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