Devotion
Fruit That Points to God
“...filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians 1:11
Paul's prayer ends where a life of partnership ends: in fruit, and in glory that isn't ours.
Two things stand out. First, the fruit "comes through Jesus Christ." It grows from abiding in him, not from white-knuckled effort. There is the fruit of the Spirit growing in you, and there is the fruit of multiplication through you — people met Jesus because partners like Lydia and the jailer carried the gospel. Second, it is all "to the glory and praise of God." Partnership never makes our name big; it makes his name big. That's the arc of the whole week: God starts it, we say yes, he grows it, and he gets the credit.
Practice
Close the week by telling your story. Tell one person how God started a work in you — your own "first day." Then take the partnership step you named earlier in the week, and ask one person to check on you about it next week. Fruit multiplies when stories get told.
Prayer
Father, all fruit and all glory belong to you. Thank you for starting your work in me and for letting me in on your mission. Use my story this week. Send me to one person who needs to hear it, and make my life point past me to Jesus. Amen.
This Week’s Message
This devotion follows along with this week’s message.