Philippians 1:19
[19] for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, (ESV)
Paul is full of joy. The last words of verse 18 start the sentence that continues in verse 19. Let's put those together:
"Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance."
The Apostle Paul is in prison. His circumstances are bleak, but his attitude is not. He chooses to be filled with joy. Why? Because of the prayers of the saints in Philippi and the help of the Holy Spirit. He is confident that ultimately God will deliver him. Now, at first glance, it would seem that Paul was speaking of being delivered from his circumstances, i.e. prison.
Let's pause for a moment. We all have gone through times in our lives when the circumstances that we were in were less than pleasant. And so, we do the right thing, we pray. We ask God to deliver us from our circumstances. If we are sick, we expect healing when we pray. If we are in debt, we expect financial blessing when we pray. If we are unjustly treated, we expect vindication when we pray.
What if our deliverance that God provides is not a deliverance from our circumstances? Here is the reality. It is very possible that Paul was never delivered from prison. His next stop was possibly the blade that removed his head from his body. If that was the case does that mean that verse 19 is a lie? NO! Ultimate deliverance for the believer is to be in the arms of Jesus eternally.
You might not be healed. You might remain in debt. You might be treated unjustly and people may never care. But you can be delivered. I believe that God delivers us through the circumstances, not from them. Ponder that today.
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