Daily Direction Reading PlanSample

We have all heard the saying, "When life gives you a bowl of lemons, make lemonade out of them." Lemons come in various ways—the challenge to finish school, the foreclosure of a home, a car that keeps breaking down, an intolerable job, or a failed business venture. The Apostle Paul had lemons. His enemies persecuted him. He was falsely accused, arrested, and sent to prison. He often agonized over the false teaching coming into the church. Philippians 1 tells us how he made lemonade. First, he took a positive attitude toward his location. Instead of complaining about being in prison, he focused on the opportunity it gave him. He could write. So he wrote four letters from prison: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. These letters contain some of the most vital content to fortify our faith and practices. Secondly, he witnessed in prison. He said, "Everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. Everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows I am in chains because of Christ." Finally, he noticed that since he was in prison, others outside of prison had become bolder in their witness. He considered that a positive development. Paul could not change his situation, so he took a positive attitude about it. He transformed his lemons into lemonade. With God's help, we can do that, too.