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“Burning to Get Out!”

Thoughts for Today:

Paul loved serving the Lord. In fact, he put aside his own personal desire to be with Him in heaven, to remain here on the earth, sharing the Gospel (Philippians 1:23-24): "I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body." Philippians 3:8 would also indicate that Paul had lost everything to preach the Gospel: "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." So how could Paul find the Gospel to be so compelling that he would sacrifice everything? It was in his bones, much like Jeremiah.

From his prison cell Jeremiah cried out, "I'm tired of speaking in the name of the Lord, no one is listening, people are mad, and some are trying to kill me -- I'm not going to do it anymore!" But then he realized the Word of God was like fire in his bones and he could not keep quiet any longer. Jeremiah 20:9: "But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."

Ministry is exactly the same way. You just can't keep God's Word to yourself. That's what Paul is talking about in our passage today: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" God has placed His Holy Word as fire in our bones -- just waiting and burning to get out.

Questions to Ponder:

Do you have a burning desire to serve the Lord? Most people do. Have you found a way to express it? Are you still waiting for the perfect opportunity? Have you considered the one in front of you is where you should begin? Connect today. Don't wait any longer.

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There's nothing like God's Word to create purpose in your life that lasts the entire day and beyond. We encourage you to Read, Carry and Share the Word of God. Pocket Devotions are sent by E-mail every weekday (Monday to Friday). On weekends we encourage you to be creative and study on your own in any area of Scripture where God leads you.

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.