Strength and Glory

With some degree of humor and amazement I often discover that wherever I am in my study of the Scriptures, God asks me to "live it out" in my daily life.  That place is now at one of the most often-quoted Scriptures ever, Philippians 4:13, 20 (NET) - - -

13  I am able to do all things through the one who strengthens me.

20  May glory be given to God our Father forever and ever. Amen.

Verse 13 has spawned such platitudes as, "If He called you to it, He'll bring you through it," which...depends on what you mean by "through it".  Jim Elliott, who was killed by native peoples in the jungles of Ecuador, while there to spread the gospel, was taken on to Heaven, after all.

Between verses 13 and 20 Paul is speaking to the Philippians further about more mundane and logistical matters, culminating in the lovely promise of verse 19.

So, if God leads us to a difficult task, will He see us through it?  Will He give us the strength to complete the task?  What about when the task appears to be a failure?  What about then?

Verse 13 is a comfort to me, and especially so this week and next.  Both weeks present entirely different challenges, all of which I believe God has called me to.  But, last night, as I lay sleepless at (and after) 1:00 a.m., I prayed, "Lord, I cannot get through these next 11 days alone.  If you don't help and strengthen me, I won't make it."   The Power Principle here is to not depend on our own paltry "strength", but to tap into and rely on His.

My situations over the next few days are "episodic".  By the end of next week, things should have "settled down".  Some of you are in long-term crises, such as caring for a chronically sick spouse. My second cousin died last week of ALS.  Over the past year, her husband was in a long-term crisis of care for her as her health precipitously declined.  These situations require God's supernatural strength as well.

But, really, should we not be living this way, even in the day-to-day and seemingly hum-drum?  My friend was telling me that she asked God yesterday for something mundane, and then felt guilty for it because she didn't need to "bother" Him with something so ... plain.  But, our God of the Glorious and Stupendous is also the God of the Smalls.  He comes to us in the cataclysms as well as in the quiet.  He is concerned with every, "minor" detail of our lives, and wants to be God of all, every single iota.  He loves for His children to ask!  And, His gifts are there for the asking and taking. What

The reason I was meditating on verse 13 as well as verse 20 is that, often, these critical situations to which God calls us, these challenges, were not in our plan, the short-term or the long-term.  But, they were in God's plan, the overall plan which will bring Him glory.  Earlier, Paul was talking about being in need and being in abundance.  In both situations, he had learned to be content because, in the tough times, he leaned on Christ's strength as sustenance and as power source.  And, he KNEW that whatever befell him, it was for the glory of God.

When, as Christians, we combine these two scriptural truths, we are then allowing ourselves to be used mightily for the kingdom of Jesus Christ, during our time here on earth.

Paul's final word in Philippians is "Amen", a word which means, "let it be so".  It is a word which aligns our will with Father's will, a word which signifies agreement, between Christians who pray corporately and between child and Father, in individual prayer.

May His will, whatever it entails, be worked out in each of the lives of His own beloved, as He gives us His strength to accomplish it.  And, may all the glory for His work in our lives be given to God the Father, forever and ever.

Amen.