Philippians 4:13 - Christ: The Key To Doing All Things.
Philippians 4:13 - Christ: The Key To Doing All Things.
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.
Can we really do everything? The power we receive in union with
Christ is sufficient to do his will and to face the challenges that
arise from our commitment to doing it. He does not grant us superhuman
ability to accomplish anything we can imagine without regard to his
interests. As we contend for the faith we will face troubles, pressures,
and trials. As they come, ask Christ to strengthen you. [Life
Application SB]
In Christ there is strength to fulfill duty, power to resist
temptation, vigor to endure affliction, patience to suffer without
complaint. In Him there is grace for daily growth, courage for multiplied
battles, and energy for devoted service. [SDA Bible Commentary]
The Son of God came to our world in human form to show man that
divinity and humanity combined can obtain the victory over sin. {ST,
February 1, 1899 par. 10}
We need not expect to gain the victory over sin without enduring
suffering, or to win the overcomer's reward by feeble efforts. Think of how
much it cost the Saviour, as in the wilderness He battled with
temptation. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from
hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony, "His visage was so marred
more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men." The
Christian life is a life of constant conflict. It is a battle and a march.
Every act of obedience, every deed of self-denial, every trial bravely
endured, every temptation resisted, every victory gained, is a step
forward in the march to eternal triumph..... When we are pressed with
temptation, when unchristlike desires clamor for the mastery, let us offer
fervent, importunate prayer to the heavenly Father, in the name of
Christ. This will bring divine aid. In the Redeemer's name we may gain
the victory. {ST, October 29, 1902 par. 3-5}
His grace is given to work in us to will and to do, but never as
a substitute for our effort.... As the Lord co-operated with Daniel
and his fellows, so He will co-operate with all who strive to do His
will. And by the impartation of His Spirit He will strengthen every
true purpose, every noble resolution. Those who walk in the path of
obedience will encounter many hindrances. Strong, subtle influences may
bind them to the world; but the Lord is able to render futile every
agency that works for the defeat of His chosen ones; in His strength
they may overcome every temptation, conquer every difficulty. {PK
487.1}
How can we control our thoughts? Good or evil actions begin
with good or evil thoughts (Pro.23:7). We are all aware that the
hardest battle in life is the struggle to think straight. People who
want to give up smoking have great difficulty keeping their thoughts
off cigarettes. Alcoholics think constantly about drink, and
lustful persons keep thinking about sex. Proud people focus on
themselves, and dishonest people manufacture crooked schemes.
Most people will admit that there are some modes of thought
that, of themselves, they cannot overcome, even though they recognize
them as counterproductive. Mind training has some value, the
exercise of the will achieves results, but the problem persists: the mind
is not completely controllable in respect to some "attractive"
objects.
Is there a solution to this dilemma? Can our thoughts ever
be brought under control? How can the Holy Spirit help us? [Adult
SS quarterly 7/29/95]
What positive changes in your life could happen if you relied
on God's unlimited power instead of your limited willpower? That's
what faith is: doing God's will by God's power instead of on your
own. God will help you as you rely on him to give you the ability to
change what he wants you to change.
God understands you better than you understand yourself. God
knows what makes you tick - he knows what energizes you, what fatigues
you, what makes you sick, what makes you operate at your best.
Doesn't it make sense to trust him to help you?
Without God's power in your life, you are like a laptop that
is unplugged; the battery will eventually drain and shut down the
computer. Why live like that? God created you for so much more.
When you think about change, don't limit yourself to only the
changes you know you can make on your own. Dream of what you can become
when God empowers you. God wants to bring about amazing changes in
your life. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
It is good that you recognize your weakness. That keeps you
looking to Me, your Strength. Abundant life is not necessarily health
and wealth; it is living in continual dependence on Me. Instead of
trying to fit this day into a preconceived mold, relax and be on the
lookout for what I am doing. This mind-set will free you to enjoy Me and
to find what I have planned for you to do. This is far better than
trying to make things go according to your own plan.
Don't take yourself so seriously. Lighten up and laugh with
Me. You have Me on your side, so what are you worried about? I can
equip you to do absolutely, anything, as long as it is My will. The
more difficult your day, the more I yearn to help you. Anxiety wraps
you up in yourself, trapping you in your own thoughts. When you look
to Me and whisper My Name, you break free and receive My help.
Focus on Me, and you will find Peace in My Presence. (Phi. 4:13; Pro.
17:22) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Do not long for the absence of problems in your life. That is
an unrealistic goal, since in this world you will have trouble. You
have an eternity of problem-free living reserved for you in heaven.
Rejoice in that inheritance, which no one can take away from you, but do
not seek your heaven on earth.
Begin each day anticipating problems, asking Me to equip you
for whatever difficulties you will encounter. The best equipping is
My living Presence, My hand that never lets go of yours. Discuss
everything with Me. Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a
challenge that you and I together can handle. Remember that I am on your
side, and I have overcome the world. (John 16:33; Isa. 41:13; Phi.
4:13) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
Welcome challenging times as opportunities to trust Me. You
have Me beside you and My Spirit within you, so no set of
circumstances is too much for you to handle. When the path before you is
dotted with difficulties, beware of measuring your strength against
those challenges. That calculation is certain to riddle you with
anxiety. Without Me, you wouldn't make it past the first hurdle!
The way to walk through demanding days is to grip My hand
tightly and stay in close communication with Me. Let your thoughts and
spoken words be richly flavored with trust and thankfulness. Regardless
of the day's problems, I can keep you in perfect Peace as you stay
close to Me. (Jam. 1:2; Phi. 4:13; Isa. 26:3) [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
Rejoice in Me always! No matter what is going on, you can
rejoice in your Love-relationship with Me. This is the secret of being
content in all circumstances. So many people dream of the day when they
will finally be happy: when they are out of debt, when their children
are out of trouble, when they have more leisure time, and so on.
While they daydream, their moments are trickling into the ground like
precious balm spilling wastefully from overturned bottles.
Fantasizing about future happiness will never bring
fulfillment because fantasy is unreality. Even though I am invisible, I am
far more Real than the world you see around you. My reality is
eternal and unchanging. Bring your moments to Me, and I will fill them
with vibrant Joy. Now is the time to rejoice in My Presence!
(Philippians 4:4, 12; Psalm 102:27) [Jesus Calling by Sarah Young]
You can live as close to Me as you choose. I set up no
barriers between us; neither do I tear down barriers that you erect.
People tend to think their circumstances determine the
quality of their lives. So they pour their energy into trying to control
those situations. They feel happy when things are going well, and sad
or frustrated when things don't turn out as they'd hoped. They
rarely question this correlation between their circumstances and
feelings. Yet it is possible to be content in any and every situation.
Put more energy into trusting Me and enjoying My Presence.
Don't let your well-being depend on your circumstances. Instead,
connect your joy to My precious promises: Philipplans 4:12, Genesis
28:15; Philipplans 4:19; Romans 8:38-39, etc. [Jesus Calling by Sarah
Young]
EXAMPLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
As seniors at Spokane Bible College, we had to choose a life
verse that would be printed next to our photo in the yearbook. I chose
Philippians 4:13, mostly because I prayed that verse before each big exam
and passed!
Ten years ago, while going through some old boxes during our
twenty-seventh move in twenty years of marriage, I came across a lost treasure:
my time-worn college Bible with the blue and red quilted cover that
was so popular in the seventies. The faded verse on the inside front
cover, written in blue ink, was Philippians 4:13. The power in that
verse is as real to me today as the day I wrote it on May 2, 1979. But
now it has a much deeper meaning. The "I" is so much smaller, and
"Christ" is so much bigger. How could I know that "everything" would
include a breast cancer diagnosis on March 21, 1996, shortly after my
fortieth birthday, when our boys were just nine and fourteen?
That verse not only helped me pass Old Testament Survey, my
toughest course in Bible College, but it continues to help me pass the
biggest test of my life-cancer! Yes, in God's Word there is power for
everything!
Connie Pombo, founder of Women's Mentoring Ministries in Mt.
Joy, Pennsylvania, is a ten-year breast cancer survivor and a
national inspirational speaker. She is the author of Trading Ashes for
Roses: From Pain to Passion and a contributing author to God Allows
U-Turns for Women and Conversations on Faith. [The One Year Bible Life
Verse Devotional]
My heart broke to see my beloved son, Joseph, led away in
handcuffs to one of the worst prisons in the state. I got through it only
because when I was in prayer, God told me to focus on Philippians 4:13.
Almost twenty years later, I walk on holy ground as chaplain
to more than one thousand women in another Pennsylvania state
prison. And I am still reminded constantly to stay focused on my life
verse. I've been blessed to share life with untold precious women loved
by God and made in his image. Some are serving unjustified
sentences. Some will never again see the outside world. I observed one dear
woman in fluorescent orange, handcuffed and shackled, struggling out
of the prison van as she returned from the hospital. Diagnosed with
stage-four cancer, she is near the end of her life's journey, and my heart
breaks for her suffering on top of suffering.
In one cell I asked a woman wrapped in a blanket and lying on
her bunk, "How are you doing?"
"Not well," she replied. "I've just been told I have the
disease [AIDS]. I don't have any family or friends."
I replied, "Jesus calls the church to be your family and your
friends."
To be there for a precious prisoner when she finds out that a
parent or sibling or child has died; that a son or daughter has been
incarcerated; that three of her children have been killed in a car accident;
or that her own illness is terminal, I must focus on the assurance
of my life verse: "I can do everything through Christ, who gives me
strength."
Dixie R. Welker, prison chaplain and former country church
pastor, has been married to her husband, Gary, for thirty-six years, She
has seven children and twenty grandchildren. [The One Year Bible
Life Verse Devotional]
Elementary-school fund-raisers gave me a stomachache. I knew
we needed new schoolbooks and playground equipment, but the thought
of going door-to-door and talking to neighbors scared me - a shy
young girl - to death. In sixth grade, students were asked to sell
citrus fruit. In a cold sweat, I came home with my order forms. That
was the first time my mom sat me down and explained Philippians
4:13. That verse gave me the courage to head out the door and up the
first driveway, repeating those words with every step.
When I was in the eighth grade, those words gave me the
courage to stand in front of a room full of strangers and do my best
before each level of competition in a speaking contest. Throughout high
school, whenever I felt overwhelmed by academic and social pressures, my
mom reminded me of what was quickly becoming "my" verse. My parents
inscribed Philippians 4:13 in my graduation Bible and gave me a plaque
with it in big letters to remind me of this truth when I faced
loneliness and the fear of failure at the university. When I called home
from school, heavy with stress and worry, my mom would repeat my
verse and remind me I wasn't alone. God's strength carried me through
my first professional pharmaceutical sales call (imagine - the shy
girl!) and on many calls thereafter. Today, my verse, printed carefully
on an index card, sits on the kitchen windowsill to remind me to
lean on God's strength so that I can patiently and lovingly care for
our squabbling twin toddlers or their crying baby brother.
Now I'm the mom. Our three sons will someday face fears of
their own, and I know just the Bible verse to give them.
Jeanette Armitage, a full-time mom, lives with her husband,
twin boys, and their little brother in Naperville, Illinois. [The One
Year Bible Life Verse Devotional]
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT:
Importance of Choice:
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]
Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782
Musical Devotional On Christian Living:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDY:
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/
LINKS FOR PROPHECY SEMINARS
The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor:
http://www.lastdayofprophecy.com/
[March 21-26, 2016: Charlotte, NC in person with live streaming
and multiple outreach locations]
Revelation Today by Pastor John Bradshaw:
https://revelationtoday.com/other-streams/
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
