Wednesday, August 27, 2025

New Testament Reading Plan: Philippians 2

Late in 1993, my former husband came to pick up my son for an outing. As we waited for my son to get ready, he told me that he’d had a dream. My plane crashed when I went on vacation, and I was going to hell because I didn’t know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Well, thanks for that!

I didn’t appreciate the message then, but my former husband’s prompting led to my salvation a few months later - before I left on vacation! I eventually realized how much courage it must have taken him to say that to me. Even if it wasn’t the best approach, he wanted to share the love of Christ with someone who he had every reason to dislike. He knew that the gift he had received would be more valuable if he gave it away.

This is the sort of courage necessary to follow Jesus’ instructions to get more workers to harvest his fields.

Matthew 9:37-38
He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

We who have been chosen to receive the priceless gift of salvation through no work of our own, now have the privilege of sharing that gift with the people God puts in our lives. We have no way of knowing if they’ve been chosen by God to receive his gift, but that’s not our job. Our job is to:

Matthew 28:19-20
… “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

I have had the privilege of thanking the man who shared his faith with me. His courage and love for those who don’t yet know Jesus is something we all need.

Your message may not be well received, but when you’re obedient to what God asks of you, he is in charge of the outcome. Would you rather God use you to invite people into his Kingdom or sit on the sidelines, waiting for the perfect moment that may never come?

Questions:
Are you prepared to share your faith with someone who doesn’t know Jesus?

Where is your harvest field?

Next Steps:
Pray for opportunities to share your faith with your friends, family, and coworkers. Google methods for sharing the gospel, such as the Romans Road, use one of the CedarCreek App’s resources, like “Your Journey,” or some other method that works for you! There are many options on the internet, so prepare yourself!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that you chose me to receive your gift of salvation. Please help me share this gift with others. Help me see people as you see them, and love them as you love them. Give me opportunities, even today, to tell people about your Son, Jesus. I love the life you have given me and want to invite others to join me in this life of unspeakable joy! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Amen.

Series Theme Verse:

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.

This post was written by Lauri White, an Oregon attendee, and a regular contributor to the Daily LivingItOut.