Daily Devotional For Friday, September 19, 2025
Good day and your weekend is almost here. Have you ever flown on a plane to visit family or friends? If you have, you know the excitement there is when your loved ones see you coming through the gates to meet you. Eyes light up on both sides, hugs and kisses are given and a sense of finally, “We are here” and “They are here.” We cherish such memories even if the airline loses our luggage. The reunion and memories with loved ones overshadows the trip, the wait, and even the lost luggage.
The Apostle Paul writes this in Philippians 1:3, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God” (NLT). It is clear that the Apostle Paul loved the Philippian church and they loved him. This church brought Paul a lot of joy and very little pain. This was not the case with the churches Paul established in Galatia, Colosse, Corinth and Thessalonica. There were some minor concerns Paul had but overall this letter reads as a joyful thank you note to this church.
This is why Paul visited this church on 3 occasions: (1) On his second missionary journey when the Gospel was given (Acts 16:12); (2) On his way from Ephesus through Macedonia to get to Greece, Paul stayed with them for 3 months (Acts 20:1-3); (3) and on his way back to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6). The fact the Apostle Paul spent so much time with the church at Philippi, shows the strong bond they had.
It is amazing how when certain groups come together who have not seen each other in a long time, memories and stories flow. For example, Audrey is going to her 50th high school reunion from Hoggard High School (here in Wilmington) in about a month. Mine is in 2026. While our memories may not be as sharp on events that happened 50 years ago, yearbooks help with the recall. But the truth is many situations can bring back a cherished memory from our past. You could be walking down your street and a kid passes you on a bike, and it reminds you of a grandchild or niece or nephew. When that happens, pray and thank God for that memory.
Maybe you enter the supermarket and see someone who reminds you of a friend from years ago, stop and thank the Lord. Maybe you are listening to music and a song comes on that reminds you of someone from years ago, cherish that memory by praying for them and thanking God for them. My point is this: let these recalled treasured memories be the catalyst to prayer and thank God for that person. And if they are lost, pray they will come to salvation through Christ. Paul wrote the book of Philippians from a prison cell.
While locked up, Paul took the time to write a letter to encourage the church at Philippi. Even from prison, Paul was joyful. How could he be this way? Paul understood that real joy is not dependent on circumstances or people or possessions. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). This means that no matter where we are, who is around, what our conditions are, joy can be produced in us by the Holy Spirit. So many people, including Christian people sadly, let externals determine their attitude and mood – not Paul.
By relying on the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, Paul trusted that God’s Spirit would guide him like a compass or navigational GPS keeping him on course no matter how strong the gale-force winds of negativity blew against him. Poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox put this idea in a poem she wrote:
“One ship drives east and another drives west with the self-same winds that blow; Tis the set of the sails and not the gales that tells them the way to go” (Source Ella Wheeler Wilcox, The Winds of Fate, p. 364).
Paul was joyful regardless of his circumstances because he knew and believed that God was always at work (Philippians 2:13) and that God would take care of him in every way (Philippians 4:19) and give him the power to navigate through any troubled waters (Philippians 4:13). So many people walk around in the darkness trying to get pseudo joy through people, circumstances, possessions, positions, and etc. Paul did not need these because he had the Person of the Holy Spirit. So, this enabled him to cherish his memories of the church at Philippi.
Assignment: What are some of your most cherished memories? What are some of your most cherished spiritual memories? This week, take time to write a note, send a text or email or make a phone call to the people in those cherished memories to say to them what Paul said to the church at Philippi, “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
Scripture To Meditate On: Philemon 1:4, “I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers” (ESV).
Prayer To Pray: “Dear Lord, I want to thank You for all my treasured and cherished memories of the people who mean the most to me. Please forgive me for getting so busy that I neglect to thank You and to thank them. Help me to take some time to do both over the next couple of days. I love You Lord. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly