Daily Devotional - Times of Refreshing - WK29 - 7/16/25 - Day 197 - "Faith In Christ Alone"

Author: Evangelist Crystal Poston

"Faith in Christ Alone"
Scripture: Philippians 3:8-9

“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith;”

Devotion:
In this Scripture, Paul says that he counts all of his gains as loss, even garbage, as they do not compare  to having a relationship with Jesus Christ. He noted in these verses that being truly righteous doesn’t come from anything that we have done, anything that we have acquired or accomplished on our own. It comes from having a personal relationship with Christ, and it is based on faith, not works.
In this world, we may be pressured to define ourselves by achievements, how we may look, or how many friends we have on social media (to name a few); however Paul’s words remind us that all of that is not going to deliver us or save us. Those fleshy things will only distract us from having a relationship with Jesus.  We must seek the Lord first and His will for our lives if we are going to be like Him and receive His promise of eternal life.  We have to have a renewal of our minds and surrender all to Him.  This may not happen overnight, but as we walk with Him daily, study His Word, apply it to our lives, and lean on Him - for faith to achieve this through Him and not through our own ability - we will begin to understand “what really matters.”  We will realize that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and by faith we can trust in Him and Him alone, knowing that He is all that we need; WHY: because He is Jehovah Jireh, - “The Lord will provide.“

Prayer:
Father, we thank You for being all that we need. Help us to see the worth in having a relationship with You. Take away any pride and self-reliance that we hold on to. We want to be found in You, not being recognized for our own accomplishments, but in giving You the honor and the glory that comes by having faith in You, and in You alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen.