I was reflecting on grace and tough times. All of us have had tough times. Those times in our lives when things were heavy, tense, and maybe even out of our control. It is in those times we either flounder around like a fishing cork on the waves – being tossed any which way – or we find anchors to steady us in those storms of life.
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, found some of those anchors in his life and shared those with the Philippians in a letter to the church there. These are the same Philippians that rioted at Paul’s preaching and caused Paul and Silas to be beaten and thrown in prison. But, God was not through with Philippi. After praying and praising God at midnight and an earthquake that opened all of the jail cells, Paul stops a suicide and tells the jailer “Be believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. You and your whole household.” The jailer believes and takes Paul and Silas to his house and dresses their wounds. This is the beginning of the Philippian church.
As a follow up, Paul wrote them a letter. Philippi was a Roman city and there were authorized Roman gods everywhere. Christianity was seen as a minor sect within Judaism. There were tough times they had to face. God gave Paul encouraging words for them.
Reading through the letter to the Philippians, we get to chapter 4 where there are some amazing revelations on God’s goodness to us, expressions of His grace.
Philippians 4.4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
No matter what is happening, find joy in the Lord; in Him, in the good things that He has done, and in the things He said He will do. Then, rejoice again. Stir yourself up in your faith (hope, confidence, trust). Get excited about God and His promises. This is an anchor in tough times, a surety against a storm of life.
Philippians 4.6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
I cannot tell you the number of times I have gone to this verse; in tough times and to encourage myself. “Anxious” is another way of saying “fearful” or “full of fear”. This is Paul reminding the Philippian church to not be full of fear. Letting fear control you is applying your faith to the bad stuff in the tough times. Instead, acknowledge the tough times and go to God in prayer and supplication – asking humbly. Add to your prayers thanksgiving. Thanking God for what He has done. You know the song “Count Your Blessings”. Recount your blessings from God. Tell Him you remember the good things He has done. From that place, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4.13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Sometimes we let the winds and waves of this present storm in our tough times overwhelm us. We forget who Jesus said we were. We forget who God said we were. Tough times come. It seems a natural order of things; however, tough times do not have to rule you. For those in God through the Lord Jesus Christ, there is strength. Read your Bible. Know it. Know the promises and position that God has given us, that Jesus gave access to them for our benefit. One of those is this: simply, God strengthens us to meet whatever challenge we are facing. So many times, He has just carried me through really tough times. He has encouraged me over and over again. His goodness and mercy are amazing and free to receive by us. Cost paid by Him.
Philippians 4.19
And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now this one got me through so many things. There were tough times with some serious lack. There were tough times with no other resource than God’s input. I have seen some really tough times, and through them all, there was God. There was a time where I knew without God’s help and supply I would see Him face to face in about 60 days. God came through in miraculous ways and my life was turned around.
But what if your supply is not so dire? He covers those, too. I have found that as I walk with Him my needs get met. In times when I needed a friend I could trust and have fellowship, He supplied to my need. In times when I needed income, a job, a better job, a job where I was actually liked and wanted, He supplied to my need. In times of sickness and infirmity, He healed me, supplying my need. Adding to that, He also keeps me well which supplies to that need before I need it. And my favorite, when I needed Him more in my life, He abundantly, overflowingly, supplied to my need.
One of my mentors, Gloria Copeland, received a solid revelation of God’s ability while studying her Bible. She came across 2 Corinthians 9.8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.” The part that she got stuck on was “God is able”.
God is able. That is why Paul’s encouragement to the church in Philippi was so strong. And why it is still applicable 1900 years later.
God is able and let us rejoice over that and over Him.
God is able, so let us not be in fear about anything but let us humbly pray and thank Him as we ask and receive from Him.
God is able and through salvation in Jesus Christ we are made able. We can do all the things we need to do in this life, because He is able and He is with us.
God is able to supply to our every need. He put the stars in place. He watches over us to ensure our good. God is not limited by our lack of something. God’s wealth is in His ability to love us, care for us, and yes, to supply to our needs… because He loved us enough to send His son Jesus so that through the cross God would not have to live without us. Jesus traded places so you could be with God. Now, if you are with God, all that was Jesus’ as the son of God is now yours. All of the supply to every one of your needs – spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, et cetera – are met in God through Christ Jesus. All you have to do is receive them and trust God He will do just as He said He would.
My 50 plus years witness is that He is and does. Amen.
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