week of 5/24/11 4th recorded HighQuest Philippians 2:19-30

The passage I read was Philippians 2:19-30

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A19-30&version=NIV

My attempt to summarize:

Paul shares his desire to return to Philippi as well as to hear good news from them in the mean time. He has sent a servant of the Lord to bring them this pre-visitation letter telling them that he will soon send Timothy and eventually Paul himself will visit, given the opportunity.

As I reflect:

In this particular passage, it seems the focus is on what one goes through for the Gospel and how brothers are to support each other through these happenings. This passage has reminded me of why birds fly in a “V” formation. From Wikipedia:

“The V formation greatly boosts the efficiency and range of flying birds, particularly over long migratory routes. All the birds except the first fly in the upwash from thewingtip vortices of the bird ahead. The upwash assists each bird in supporting its own weight in flight, in the same way a glider can climb or maintain height indefinitely in rising air. In a V formation of 25 members, each bird can achieve a reduction of induced drag by up to 65% and as a result increase their range by 71%.^[1] The birds flying at the tips and at the front are rotated in a timely cyclical fashion to spread flight fatigue equally among the flock members. The formation also makes communication easier and allows the birds to maintain visual contact with each other.”

Paul is currently imprisoned and Timothy is there ministering to him, thus Epaphroditus is sent in their place. But not only is he sent in their place because of their current tribulations for the Lord’s name sake, but also Epaphroditus himself is recently recovered from his own trials for the Lord’s name sake and is cared for greatly by his friends in Philippi who have heard of his sufferings. Paul says of Timothy, “ I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” This is so true. As Followers of God we ought also be concerned with what concerns God. It is not our comfort that we are concerned with, but the salvation of the lost. Jesus was about His Father’s work and He came to seek and save that which was lost. This should be our prayer and the focus of all of our efforts and we ought to be concerned with each other on this mission and have compassion and understanding for each other as well. It seems that Paul has lost no joy in all of their sufferings but only longs the more to reach the intended recipients with the truth of the Gospel. Such should be true of us also as we share the Gospel with our intended recipients and are greatly persecuted in doing so. May we lose no joy, but press forward continually to reach the lost and support one another along the way. In this way may we go further just as the flock flying in V Formation.

My response to the Lord:

You have provided for us so well my God, and I thank thee. I wonder if I have failed in supporting those around me at times. I wonder if there are Christians or non-believers that I have failed to properly and genuinely love and support. I pray that you would reveal it to me if this is the case. I also thank you for the support you have shown me and my family through others that genuinely care for us. May they be greatly blessed. In Jesus’ name.