Skip to main content

Monday... Yes we can!


Monday... Yes we can!

It is really amazing what we can do through Christ. Paul says in Philippians 4:13 (NLT), "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." That is such an amazing fact but look at what he says right before this. He shares something that is almost impossible for us to do in the world in which we live today. It really is.

Now in the last chapter of Paul's letter to the people in Philippi who really cared about him, who wanted to take care of his needs while he was in prison, he said to them in verse 10, "How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn't have a chance to help me." 

He then says something that is way beyond what we in the day in which we live could say about ourselves. In verse 11 he says, "Not that I was ever in need." 

Now he goes on to say, "for I have learned to be content with everything that I have." And therein is the miracle. In verse 12 he says, "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether, it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little." And then verse 13, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

And here is a man who is in prison who is not controlled by his situation, but he uses it to show us how God works and how he can take care of us. The miracle is in the being content.

Earlier in verses 6-7 he says, "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he's done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." That's why Paul could say, "Not that I was ever in need." He prayed and he thanked. For he knew that he could do everything through Christ. That's why he didn't worry, that's why he was at peace, that's why he was so content.

And then he says something very important in verse 8, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." That's why he could say and we can say, "For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."

And that is why we too can say on this Monday, "Yes we can!" Yes, yes! #todaysbeginning

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit?

Nehemiah 6:16b (NLT), "They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Tuesday... I wonder what would happen if we didn't take the credit? Over in the Old Testament in the book of Nehemiah it tells of a major task that through the leadership of Nehemiah was accomplished. The walls of Jerusalem had been torn down and God had laid it on Nehemiah to build those walls back up. It was definitely an almost impossible task but Nehemiah 6:15-16 says, "So on October 2 the wall was finished - just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God." Now, we so many times want to take credit for doing the impossible. It would make such a difference for us. But I wonder what would happen through us if God got the credit? Psalm 96 tells us what we are to do. Verses 2-3 says, "Sing to the LORD; praise his name. ...

Tuesday... We just have trouble listening.

1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." Tuesday... We just have trouble listening. Over in Jeremiah 25:4 (NLT) it says, "Again and again the LORD has sent you his servants, the prophets, but you have not listened or even paid attention." And Jeremiah went on to tell what was going to happen. There will be consequences if we do not listen to what God says through his Word. Now the Apostle Paul over in 1 Corinthians was having a problem with some professed Christ followers who were having trouble at listening. And we too can have problems at listening. We can think that being a Christ follower means we do a lot of finger pointing and we give up on people who don't do what we say. We can even do that in our families. But Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT), "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." In verse ...

Thursday... Yet, now this is true.

Colossians 1:22a (NLT), "Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body." Thursday... Yet, now this is true. Now Paul a prisoner in Rome is writing a letter to a church in Colossae. And in Colossians 1:21 (MSG) he says, "Once you were alienated from God and were hostile in your minds, engaging in evil deeds" The NLT says "This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated by your evil thoughts and actions." And that is where so many in this world live today. They are blowing it and they don't know what to do. Yes, they are hostile in their minds and they are engaging in evil deeds but there is Good News. Now Paul in verses 19-20 sets the stage for an answer to those who don't want to live that way. He says, "For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth b...