Message from Scripture: 10/03/2020

Our message from Scripture today is Phil. 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

I wonder sometimes if it would be possible to number all the people in the world who are so desperately searching for happiness. The problem isn’t with wanting to be happy, but where you look for happiness and how they pursue reaching it. Genuine peace and satisfaction aren’t found in the externals of life, but in Christ. Paul offers us two elements living for Christ brings to our lives.

Most people think their happiness depends on what happens to them, but Paul corrects this assumption. He knew what it was like to experience all kinds of situations, from one extreme to the next. Little or much, Paul discovered happiness doesn’t depend on circumstances, no matter how extreme they may be, as much as it does the condition of heart one has (Phil. 4:12). As he reminds Timothy, “But godliness with contentment is a great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).

This confidence Paul has comes from an active faith and a strength in the help Christ offers those whose lives are anchored in Him. The help our Lord provides is just what we need, not too little, not over the top, but what is just right for each of us and what we face in life. Knowing what He provides, we can have assurance He will always be there, through thick and thin, to help us navigate the pitfalls, the challenges, the temptations, that going through the extremes can bring. If Christ was willing to go through all He faced by becoming human, by facing life in all its various aspects, He knows and is completely able to provide what we need to succeed not only in life, but in the eternal as well.

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Just think, if we give our lives to Christ, what He can do in and through us. Have a great day today in Christ. God bless.

Robert