October 9
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PHILEMON 1
1 Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. 7 For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
–Philemon 1:1-7
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PHILEMON 1 THANKFUL FOR GOD’S LIGHT
A poem inspired by these verses by ILMA
O Lord, before I knew you, I concerned myself with the world
It was a life of darkness until you touched my heart with your word
Your word was light amidst that darkness that enveloped my life
The light coming from you was so intense and covered all the dark
After your overpowering light, there was no way my life was the same
Thank you for exposing all the lies that was so ingrained in me in the past
You transformed every inch of me and inclined my heart to hunger for you
I am thankful each time I have an opportunity to proclaim your good news.
In my dark past, I used all the resources I have for my own desires
But now, you made me realize that they are for your kingdom purpose
Thank you for using me as a vessel to spread the word that is so powerful
You called me by name to show your grace and your love so unconditional
You gave me your promises so that I can have hope in the midst of trials
Your assurance has kept me going and helped me to persist in loving others
Lord, let me never forget what you have done to save a sinner like me
Let me always count my blessings; deliver me from all kinds of grumbling.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think Paul wrote to Philemon and began in a thankful tone in his letter? What was his purpose in writing him?