Paul tells us to work out our own salvation, but turns right around in the very next verse and reminds us that it is God who gives us both the desire and the power to obey Him. Christ strengthens us to do all things as we walk in the Spirit each moment of the day (Philippians 4:11-13). He gives power to the weak, and renews our strength until we rise up like eagles on the wings of His Spirit (Ephesians 6:10; Isaiah 40:29, 31). When our spirit, body or soul – our mind, choices and emotions – melt from the heat of various trials, God strengthens us with His Word (Psalm 119:28).
There is a pre-requisite, however. God tells us to love Him
with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30). Then He
gives us His love to share with the world around us. His grace is totally
sufficient for us, and His strength is made perfect in our limitations.
Therefore, we can actually boast in our weakness as Paul did, because the power
of Christ overcomes them. We can also take pleasure in our trials and
tribulation, because when we are weak, He is strong within us (2
Corinthians 12:9-10).
When we come to God in our hardships and suffering, He
helps us to feel joyful in them (James 1:2). He
guides us on a straight path because of our enemies (Psalm
27:11). He helps us to rise above our circumstances and to see
His purposes in them (Philippians 1:19). They turn from drudgery
into an adventure! God uses our suffering and loss to perfect us, just as He
did in Jesus’ life. Like Jesus, we learn obedience from the things, which we
suffer (Hebrews 5:8).
There is no evil or hardship in this world that did not
originate with a selfish choice on the part of some human being. Sin is the
source of all wickedness in life, beginning in the Garden of Eden. God
counteracts our suffering when we trust in Him with all of our heart (Psalm
147:3). He provides us with strength and refuge in times of
trouble (Psalm 46:1). There is no need for us to
entertain fearful or depressing thoughts over our circumstances, because God’s
joy becomes our strength through them (Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 12:2).
God bends His ear down to hear our prayers (Psalm
116:2). He is never far from us, and He always hastens to help
us, even when His timing is not as fast as we would like it to be (Psalm
22:19). When the fiery darts of Satan try to pierce us, God is
our shield. Our heart is secure, as it trusts in Him, because He always rescues
us and enables us to prosper. His provision gives us joy and fills our heart
with songs of praise for Him (Psalm 28:7-8, 118:14).
Prayer:
Lord God, be gracious to us as we wait upon You. Search us
and show us if there is any sin in our life separating us from complete,
intimate communion with You. Thank You for giving us Your strength with each
new morning and saving us in our times of trouble (Isaiah
33:2; Isaiah 40:29-31). You give us stable passage as You call us to walk
among the mountain tops with You (Habakkuk 3:19). We give
You all the praise and honor due Your name.
Thought for the Day:
Through His Spirit, God provides power and authority in our
inner soul, according to His abundance in glory. - Ephesians 3:16