S. O. A. P.

Here’s your 90 second AM devotional!

S-cripture

Philemon 22

And one thing more; Prepare a guest room for me, because I HOPE to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

O-bservation

The book of Philemon is small. In fact it only has one chapter. Paul asked an old friend of his named Philemon, from Colossae, for a favor. Evidently Onesimus, a servant of Philemon’s, had run away and had come to assist Paul while Paul was a prisoner in Rome. Apparently during this time, Onesimus had reformed and become a “Follower of Jesus,” and Paul was asking Philemon to receive him back as a forgiven brother. What’s so extraordinary about this story is that Paul was still in prison, in Rome, when he wrote the request. As he completes the short letter he says, “By the way Phil … Get a guest room prepared for me. I plan on getting out here and coming to see you.”

A-pplication

Some historians say that Paul was born in AD 5 (circa) and died in AD 67 (circa). There was no reason at the age of 55, while rotting in a Roman prison, to think that he had a chance of ever getting out of there. BUT PAUL BELIEVED IT, and guess what? Three years later he was acquitted and began his fourth missionary journey! We have no record that Paul ever got to sleep in Philemon’s guest room, but who knows? Perhaps you’re facing some kind of closed door today. “Keep HOPE Alive!” The GUEST ROOM is clean and ready for you.

P-rayer

Dear Jesus,

Today I’m remembering the many times in my life I faced some kind of closed door that held me back. The only thing that kept me going was Keeping HOPE Alive. Thank you Lord for seeing me through those CLOSED DOORS. Amen