Philippians 1:23
A Narrow Place

23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

All of us need to recognize the value of living, and seek to live life to the full for the glory of God. Let us be bold in our concern for God to be glorified in the work of the Gospel and service for the saints. At the same time don’t be too concerned as to the degree of comfort or discomfort we might have because of that work. If we have comfortable circumstances, be thankful and use them wisely for God. If we are barely able to get along, let alone minister to others, we need to commit ourselves to be of spiritual help to others in prayer or by any other means we can.

There are these places we come to in life,
Where we have major choices to make.
Should I do what I know is pleasing to me,
Or is there another, better way I should take?
If I did this one thing, my trials would be over
And I would finally be comfortable and at rest.
On the other hand, if I go the hard way,
It will for other people be best.

When it comes to preaching the Gospel:
Some places seem to be very hard –
And night after night speaking with no results,
Tends to makes me discouraged and tired.
But then on occasions some will come much later,
And say, “I never told you I have been saved.”
In those difficult times when we despair,
A gracious God, His salvation gave.

There are those straits we sometimes pass through
When we’ve had so much pain we want to die.
“I’ve had enough; please take my home,”
To our heavenly Father we cry.
Then it may be later, or maybe not at all,
Some suffering believers will say,
“I learned from you when you were in pain,
To cast my care on God each day.”

The Lord is coming, it may be today,
And this I am anxious to see –
For it means a new dawn, finally done with sin
I will forever and ever be able to be.
And then I remember some people I know,
Who are not ready yet to meet their Maker.
Part of me wants to go, another to wait,
Until I know the Savior they have taken.

So I know some things are right, but timing is wrong,
There is much more than today to consider.
These narrow places I pass through make me become strong,
And also these are where I stop to remember,
God has not given us the reasons for all
The things He allows us in life to experience.
There is a big picture, maybe sometime God shall
Reveal all these results and reasons so extrinsic.

“It would be wonderful if the Lord was to come today, O God, but I know for Your own reasons it has to be in Your own time. By Thy grace and mercy, move upon people and events of our time to bring greater glory and honor to Thee. All the turmoil around the world does make me look up more consistently and truly wait for the portals of heaven to open to one way or another. I will be glad to finally see Thee and be at home. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

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