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Verse by Verse Devotional on Philippians by Pastor Jack #127

August 29, 2014 | by: Jack Lash | 0 comments

Posted in: Philippians

Death’s Doorstep

2:27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him...

Have you ever noticed God’s tendency to bring His people to the threshold of death, only to spare them at the last minute? This was the experience of Epaphroditus. This was the experience of the Psalmists repeatedly (e.g. Psalm 3, 6, 8, 9, 30, 46, 48). And even if it isn’t actual death, it is not at all strange to find oneself at the brink of real disaster only to have God’s hand pull you back to safety.

Why does God act this way? Why doesn’t He spare us from such frightening experiences? God could have prevented Epaphroditus from getting deathly ill as he traveled to Rome. Why did He allow this? Does He get some thrill from frightening us?

God brings us to the precipice in order to show us His mercy. In our sin, we are prone to start feeling very secure in the wrong things if things around us appear very stable. So every once in a while, He shakes our world to remind us that our only true security is in Him.

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea." (Psalm 46:1-2)

If there were no violent storms, we would seem secure in our houses built on sand. The storms remind us (and drive us) to build our lives on the rock.

Elsewhere Paul explained more fully God’s reason behind these traumas: "We do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead ; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope." (2Cor.1:8-10)

Once again, we see that God is always in the business of loving and blessing His people, even though we so easily misinterpret His actions (because we fail to interpret them in light of His word).

Thank God for death’s doorstep! How many important lessons have been learned there! What an effective classroom it is for the people of God!

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, thank You that just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. Thank You that there are no accidents in my life. Thank You that all things are in Your hands. Thank You for all the times You have rescued me from the brink of disaster. Thank You even for the crises themselves, for the value of all those experiences. How I need continuous reminders of the fact that this world cannot be trusted. Teach me not to depend on this world. Teach me to depend on You alone.

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