Strengthened by Divine Power

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," or literally, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." A look at the context tells us where this exclamation came from: "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (vv. 11-12).

On numerous occasions the Philippian church had sent aid to Paul, for which he was quite thankful: "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity" (v. 10). And he added, "Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress" (v. 14). But Paul most wanted them to realize that "in whatever state" he was in, he had "learned... to be content" (v. 11b).

"Content" (v. 11b) means "self-sufficient." "The Stoics used this word (which occurs only here in the NT) to mean human self-reliance and fortitude, a calm acceptance of life’s pressures. But Paul used it to refer to a divinely bestowed sufficiency, whatever the circumstances" (Lightner, R. P. [1985], Philippians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck [Eds.], The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures [Vol. 2, p. 664], Wheaton, IL: Victor Books).

I am sure there were times when Paul suffered hardship. There were likely also times when those hardships gave way to better days. Paul learned to be content in either circumstance. There were days when he suffered financial shortfalls, along with other material needs. He also experienced days when he had an abundance. In whatever circumstance he found himself, whether well-fed or hungry, whether in plenty or in want, he "learned... to be content" (v. 11b).

Paul was "content" (v. 11b) because of the sufficiency of Christ. Our main text, verse 13, explains: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Christ is all-sufficient. He meets our every need. Paul understood this well. He had learned to trust all things, all circumstances, into His hands. Paul understood that he could do anything, handle every circumstance of life, "through Christ who" gave him "strength" (v. 13).

It is the same for us today. Like Paul, we need to learn to trust all things, all circumstances of life, whether good or bad, into the hands of Christ our Lord. He is the one who is sufficient to bring us through it all. That is what Galatians 2:20 means when it says, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Amen.

The Wonder of It All!

This is known as Passion Week, the week leading up to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It began with Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey (fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9— "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey."). This is known as Palm Sunday.

The week was filled with all sorts of intrigue, from the people laying branches in His path on Sunday as He entered Jerusalem amid a lot of pomp and circumstance, and much rejoicing. As the week progresses, we encounter Jesus cleansing the Temple of merchants, teaching His disciples, and going back and forth with the Jewish leaders over various topics. It all culminates with Jesus sharing the Passover meal with His disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper, being arrested later in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then being crucified and buried the next day (Good Friday).

That brings us to Sunday morning. Jesus was buried hurriedly because the Sabbath was fast approaching. The women waited until after the Sabbath to finish preparing His body for burial. So first thing Sunday morning they made their way to His tomb, where they found things had changed greatly. Let's pick up the story there: "They found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again"'" (Luke 24:2-7).

The two men at the tomb surprised the women, and their dazzling appearance frightened them. The women bowed before them in humble fear and respect (vv. 4-5a), not in worship (angels would not have accepted any form of worship). One angel spoke, asking an obvious question: "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" (v. 5b).Yes, why? Jesus promised to rise from the dead (v. 7), so why did they come to the tomb expecting to find Him? Then the angel spoke the words that should thrill the hearts of everyone right up to today: "He is not here, but is risen!" (v. 6a).

Oh, the wonder of it all! When people first hear about the resurrection of Jesus, they may need a little space, a little time to absorb it all and to contemplate the wonder of it all. They may at first think it a mere fairy tale. Then they may think it through a little more and do a little investigating, checking out the facts. Only when they encounter Jesus in a personal way will they accept the fact of the resurrection. When they commit their lives to Jesus and trust Him as their Lord and Savior, they will begin to realize the reality of His presence. If this is you, take the time to wonder, to think about the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection. Oh, the wonder of it all. Amen.

God's Joy Over You

Zephaniah 3:17 says, "The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." Though this was written with Israel in mind, Zephaniah 3:17 refers to the Millennial Kingdom and easily carries over to all of God's people. In fact, verse 17 is apparently spoken to them by the Gentile believers: "In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: 'Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak'" (v. 16). Instead, they are to lift their hands in triumph because the Lord is with them.

Know first of all, that God is with you: "The LORD your God in your midst" (v. 17a). The Lord God is here referred to as "The Mighty One" (v. 17b). He is indeed mighty. He is all-powerful. He is the Savior, the One who "will save" (v. 17b). As God's people, you can rejoice because the Lord destroys the wicked, and in so doing, He saves the righteous.

As your all-powerful Savior, "He will rejoice over you with gladness" (v. 17c). The Lord God delights in His people. All of God's people are the object of His great love, not His wrath. The millennium will be a time of peace for God's people. They will rejoice! But more than that, God will rejoice over you His people, because you are His heart's delight.

Also, the Lord God "will quiet you with His love" (v. 17d), or "in his love he will no longer rebuke you" (NIV). This carries the idea of God being silent as to your faults, not imputing them against you, It is that calm silent joy that you experience when in the presence of the one you love. That is how the Lord your God feels toward you.

This great love God has for you gives way to singing: "He will rejoice over you with singing" (v. 17e). God's joy, expressed in His singing over you, comes straight from His delight that you His chosen people are with Him in that land because you are under His blessing.

Throughout this verse, we respond to God. We rejoice with singing because He first rejoiced over us with singing. This is the only place where God is mentioned as singing, except when Jesus sang a hymn with His disciples after dinner the night He was betrayed. The message is: Rejoice because God rejoices over you. Trust Him fully in all things. Amen.

Finding God

In Luke 15:4-6, Jesus said, "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'" When just one of this man's sheep was lost, he dropped everything, left the other ninety-nine sheep alone in the field, and went to search for that one lost sheep. He didn't stop looking until he found that sheep. Then he rejoiced over it and called his "friends and neighbors" (v. 6) to come celebrate with him.

And again, in verses 8-9, Jesus said, "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!'" When this woman lost one of her coins she searched the house thoroughly seeking to find it. When she couldn't find it quickly she never gave up the search. She kept on looking. She looked everywhere. She lit a lamp to help her see better. She swept the house to make sure she didn't miss anything. She searched until she found it. Then she, too, called her "friends and neighbors" (v. 9) to come and rejoice with her.

What I want to point out here is the diligence with which these two people searched for that which was lost. They never gave up the search. They searched with all their heart until they found the very thing which they were seeking. You see, it's all about the heart; seeking diligently with the whole heart. If your heart is not in it, you will likely fail to find what it is you are seeking.

This leads us to our main text: "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:12-13). With these words God renewed His covenant with His people Israel. Verse 12 reminds them of His promise to them: "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you." In exile in Babylon, the people will begin to seek after God. He promises here that when they turn again and pray to Him, He will "listen" (v. 12).

Although this promise was given specifically to the people of Israel while exiled in Babylon, the principle is universally true. Hebrews 11:6 says, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Again, it speaks about diligently seeking after God. God is real and He rewards "those who diligently seek Him" (v. 6b).

In Jeremiah 29:13, we are told that "you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." When you "seek" God (v. 13a) "with all your heart" (v. 13b) and you "pray" to Him (v. 12a), He will "listen" (v. 12b) and you will "find" Him (v. 13a). That is God's promise to you. Amen.

Grace Abounding

Psalm 103:8 says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy." In verses 6-10, the psalmist focuses on God's character. Verse 8 falls right in the middle of those verses. Out of the Lord's loving nature, He acts on behalf of His people. God is merciful. He cares for those who are His.

"The LORD is merciful and gracious" (v. 8a). We are all sinners who are guilty and in need of the Lord's mercy. As the psalmist points out, God is both merciful and gracious. By His mercy He pardons sin. In legal terms, through mercy God stays the punishment of sin, even though we deserve that punishment. By His grace He grants us favors that we do not deserve. In both mercy and grace the Lord abounds.

"Slow to anger" (v. 8b). God can certainly be angry; angry with sin. He can reach out and punish the guilty with righteous indignation, but we are told that He is "slow to anger" (v. 8b). God is patient with us beyond measure: "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God is patient, giving space for repentance and plenty of opportunity to receive His mercy.

"Abundant in mercy" (v. 8c). God's anger is short-lived and never reaches into eternity, as far as believers are concerned. Rather, God is "abundant in mercy" (v. 8c). "Abundant" (v. 8c) means "overflowing." The Lord is rich in mercy and quick to shower His mercy upon us. "Mercy" (v. 8c) is translated from the Hebrew word hesed, which many a Bible scholar has written about. It is the Hebrew word for "love," and is sometimes translated "mercy, lovingkindness, loyalty." It could be rendered as "steadfast love."

Out of His steadfast love, God pours out His mercy upon us. Out of His steadfast love, God pours out His grace upon us. Both His mercy and His grace are showered upon us with abundance. Amen.

Get Involved in the Lord's Work

How do you "keep yourselves in the love of God" (v. 21a)? How do you continue "building yourselves up on your most holy faith" (v. 20a)? First, by spending time in the Lord's Word; second, by being in fellowship with the Lord's people; third, by praying in the power of the Holy Spirit; fourth, by supporting your pastor; and fifth, by getting involved in the work of ministry.

Part of supporting your pastor is helping in the work. He needs your help. He is there to train and lead. You are there to learn and do. If you are "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (v. 21b), get involved in the Lord's work. Doing so takes saving faith and it is proof of such faith. If you have faith, use it, live by it, and do the Lord's work by it.

"Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5). And in verses 9-10 Peter added, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy." That is the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. We all are to minster to one another.

Get involved in the ministry of your church. Be the Lord's workers. "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12).

Your pastor trains you up according to your spiritual gifts, in order to involve you in "the work of ministry." But you must do the work of ministry—no one else can do the work God has for you.

So get to work! Study God's Word. Encourage one another in fellowship. Pray in the power of the Spirit. Support your shepherd, your pastor. Get involved in the work of the church. That is what the Christian life is all about. Doing these things proves your faith and you will receive "the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21b). Amen.

Support the Lord's Servant

How do you "keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 21a)? How do you continue "building yourselves up on your most holy faith" (v. 20a)? First, by spending time in the Lord's Word; second, by being in fellowship with the Lord's people; third, by praying in the power of the Holy Spirit; and fourth, by supporting your pastor—always!

First Thessalonians 5:12-13 says, "And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves."

First Corinthians 16:15-18 says, "I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints—that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men."

Help your church shepherd—your pastor! Pray for him daily! Remember how Paul constantly asked for prayer support? Help your pastor in the Lord's work!

The writer of Hebrews warns: "Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you" (Hebrews 13:17-18).

Involvement in the Lord's work keeps you in touch with Jesus. It requires being in the Word, in fellowship, and in prayer. Help your pastor in the Lord's work. Amen.