God provides but what is your part ?

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
— Philippians 4:19 ESV

Earlier in his letter the Apostle Paul told the church at Philippi that he was rejoicing greatly because they had revived their concern for his material well-being. He told them that although he had learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need, and although he had learned how to do all things through Christ who strengthens him, he was still grateful for their support (Philippians 4:10-13).

Paul was thankful that by supporting him, the church had shared with him and fellowshipped with him in all his troubles on the mission field. The Philippian church was the only church that had supplied Paul’s needs when he had left Macedonia, and they had supplied his needs time and again when he was in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:14-16). Obviously, the church at Philippi was a church that gave freely of their resources and Paul was thankful for their continuing help.

Paul did not regard the Philippian church as only donors and supporters of his missionary endeavors, however, but as full-fledged partners in the spread of the gospel. As partners, Paul was not primarily seeking gifts of support for the ministry from them, but was primarily seeking “the fruit that increases to your credit” (Philippians 4:17). That is, Paul was not primarily seeking the gifts he received from them, but primarily the benefit they would receive for having supported him.

Perhaps Paul was thinking of the Old Testament story of the widow of Zarephath in I Kings 17 and the story of the wealthy Shunammite woman in II Kings 4, both of whom had supported prophets and had received benefits for doing so. Paul was less concerned with his own needs than he was with the benefit the Philippian church would receive.

It is in this context that our verse for today is found. Paul is saying to the Philippian church that God will supply their every need because they have partnered with him and supported him in the spread of the gospel.

Not everyone is called to go out on the mission field or to pastor a church, but everyone can partner with those who do and support them in the ministry. Paul’s message is that we can expect to be blessed for having done so.

The Power of the Lord

“The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.”
— I Samuel 2:4-5 NKJV

Our verses for today are part of the prayer of praise and worship that Hannah said after she had dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord at the house of the Lord in Shiloh. Filled with thanksgiving for what the Lord had done for her in giving her Samuel, her poetic words reveal the sovereign power of the Lord to bring down those who do not turn to Him for help and to lift up those who do turn to Him.

First, the Lord can break the bows of mighty men. This means that those who rely on their own strength and power to accomplish anything in life are courting disaster from the Lord. Instead of victory in the affairs of life, they will have failure. On the other hand, the Lord can gird those who have stumbled with strength. Those who have failed in life in some way can turn to the Lord and triumph over the problems that brought them down.

Second, the Lord can force those who were full to hire themselves out for bread. This means that those who rely on their wealth can be impoverished by the Lord. Instead of living off of what they have, they can be compelled to work for someone else just to scrape by. On the other hand, the Lord can feed the hungry. Those who had nothing can turn to the Lord and be enriched with whatever they need.

Finally, she who has many children can become feeble. This means that those who rely on their own constitution and vigor can be debilitated by the Lord. Instead of enjoying the fruitfulness of health, they can be diminished and weakened. On the other hand, the Lord can cause the barren woman to have seven children. Those who were incapacitated in some way can turn to the Lord and be healed.

The message in Hannah’s prayer is that radical change is a real possibility in life. It all depends on who we rely upon. Like she did, then, let us rise up by turning to the Lord for whatever we need.

Take heed today and be blessed

Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
    but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.
— Proverbs 29:18 NIV

People need revelation from God. Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4). This revelation may be the authoritative revelation that is written down in the Bible and that speaks to everyone who reads it and hears it, or it may be the more personal revelations God gives people in order to guide them through life. Indeed, we need every form of God’s revelation so that we will live the lives God wants us to live. How could we live the lives God wants us to live if He never communicated to us in any way?

People who do not heed God’s revelation are in a sorry state. Our verse for today says that they “cast off restraint.” Instead of following the will of God revealed to them, they follow their own way. They are the sheep that Isaiah said have gone astray, each of them turning to their own way (Isaiah 53:6). There is nothing holding them back. There is nothing keeping them from the inevitable destruction that must follow. After all, one does not defy the Lord God of heaven and earth with impunity. There are consequences for disobedience.

If we give heed to God’s revelation, if we give heed to the wisdom that comes from above, then we will be blessed. How could it be otherwise? God is the sovereign ruler over all things. If we give heed to His wisdom and instruction, we will have gotten ourselves in line with the way that He has set up the world; we will have gotten in harmony with that which promotes life and blessedness. Further, God will be pleased with us for having sought His will ? and God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

What has God been saying to you lately? What have you taken away from the Bible passages you have read? What personal revelation has He given you? Maybe He has spoken personally to you through the very Bible passages you have read. Whatever form it took, God is revealing His will and His ways. He is sending you “wisdom’s instruction.”

Take heed today and be blessed.

What is in your heart ?

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
— Luke 6:45 NLT

Insight

Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal the true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. The good impressions we try to make cannot last if our hearts are deceptive.

Challenge

What is in your heart will come out in your speech and behavior.

Stay vigilant and ready

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.
— Luke 4:13 NLT

Christ’s defeat of the devil in the desert was decisive but not final. Throughout his ministry, Jesus would confront Satan in many forms.

Too often we see temptation as once and for all. In reality, we need to be constantly on guard against the devil’s ongoing attacks.

Where are you most susceptible to temptation right now?

How are you preparing to withstand it?

Anything worth having costs something

“Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
— Mark 14:36 NLT

While praying, Jesus was aware of what doing the Father’s will would cost him. He understood the suffering he was about to encounter, and he did not want to have to endure the horrible experience. But Jesus prayed, “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Anything worth having costs something.

What does your commitment to God cost you?

Be willing to pay the price to gain something worthwhile in the end.

You were made by him so trust your future in him.

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
— Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Human beings in general are the product of God’s handiwork, for everyone is a creature of God. As creatures, we are totally dependent beings ? totally dependent upon the creative and providential sustenance of God. But Christians are also God’s handiwork with respect to His providence of grace, for He has graciously determined to create us anew in Jesus Christ. In this respect as well, then, Christians are totally dependent upon God ? totally dependent upon the gift of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Even further, however, God’s handiwork of grace not only created us anew, but it also prepared us for good works. It is in this sense that we have been “Created in Christ to do good works.” The creation mentioned here is the “new creation” that Paul referred to in some of his letters. For example, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (II Corinthians 5:17). Christians, then, are dependent upon God as creatures like the rest of humanity, but also dependent upon God as new creatures in Christ, and even dependent upon God for the good works we perform as new creatures.

The works that God had in mind for us were prepared in advance for us to do. Paul believed that our salvation was predestined by God (see Ephesians 1:4-6), but our verse for today makes it plain that he believed the good works we perform as Christians were also predestined for us to do. Christians, then, are not only made into new creatures by God, they are made into new creatures so that they can perform the good works God had in mind from all eternity.

None of this means that Christians are not responsible and accountable for the works that they do, for Paul also said that we should “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” but it does mean that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13).

Today, when the fear and trembling comes upon you, take comfort in the knowledge that Almighty God Himself is working in you to help you perform the good works He prepared in advance for just you to do.

His Angels Watch over us !

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
— Psalm 91:11-12 NKJV

Among the many promises that God makes with reference to those that trust in Him is the promise of our verse for today ? He gives His angels charge over us. That is, He commands His angels to take care of us. In Hebrews 1:14 it says, “All the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation.” Angels are created spiritual beings that God assigns to continuously watch over those who trust in Him. Indeed, the continuous presence of the angels watching over us necessitates their setting up camp around us (Psalm 34:7).

The angels watch over us in order to keep us in all our ways. This passage reminds us of the angel that was sent by God to guard and guide the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land (Exodus 23:20). For those who trust in God and go forth in life in His service there is an angelic security detail that guards us and guides us in all the ways that we go. The idea is not that we can expect an angelic guard no matter where we decide to go in life, but wherever we go in service to the Lord ? just as the servant of Abraham was guarded and guided by an angel in his journey to find Isaac a wife (Genesis 24:7, 40).

The angels that encamp around those who fear God also deliver them from trouble (Psalm 34:7). They bear us up in their hands lest we dash our foot against a stone. This means that the angels deliver us from, and help us overcome, the many obstacles of life that loom up and threaten us with harm. Whatever may happen to the believer, whether it be easy or difficult, it cannot happen unless it has been determined to be for their good as determined by the Lord Himself (Romans 8:28). The angelic security detail is a guarantee of that fact.

Although many Christians believe they have the authority to command angels to do their bidding, there is no biblical warrant for that belief.

However, there is certainly no biblical objection to asking God to send His angels to do everything they can do for us.

Do not speak to fools

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
— Matthew 7:6 NIV

Our verse for today is part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In a previous portion of the sermon Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:1-2). Although we should not judge others, our verse for today makes it clear that we should be discerning in our evaluation of people.

What do the metaphors “dogs” and “pigs” mean? In the Old Testament, dogs and pigs were considered unclean animals. Dogs were the scavengers of the Middle East. They were not given food that was offered in sacrifice because it was holy, but they were thrown the meat of animals torn by wild beasts because it was not holy (Exodus 22:31). Pigs were not to be used as food by the Israelites and, as a consequence, were not to be kept or fed (Leviticus 11:7-8). Jesus used dogs and pigs to represent people who are not worthy to receive anything sacred or anything as valuable as pearls.

What do the metaphors “sacred” and “pearls” mean? They both refer to God’s word and especially the gospel message. The gospel message is very good and extremely valuable. Jesus is saying that one should not give the very good and very valuable message to those people who will not receive it or appreciate it. Although we should not judge people, we should discern whether or not they will accept the gospel.

What does the metaphor “trample them under their feet” mean? It refers to the rejection, ridicule, and mocking of the gospel by the people who will not receive or appreciate it. And “tear you to pieces” refers to the personal enmity and opposition of these people toward the people who give it to them.

In Matthew 7:6 Jesus is telling us that there is no obligation on our part to preach the gospel to people we know will not receive it or appreciate it. We should not judge them, but we need to be discerning. Proverbs 23:9 says, “Do not speak to fools, for they will scorn your prudent words.”

Where do you Look for Help ?

I will lift up my eyes to the hills–
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
— Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV

The Psalmist, generally thought to be David, lifts up his eyes to the hills. What hills does he have in mind? In Psalm 87:1 it says, “His foundation is in the holy mountains. The Lord loves the gates of Zion.” “His foundation” refers to the foundation of Jerusalem, God’s chosen city. It is “His” foundation because it was the place of His manifest presence; the place where the Ark of the Covenant was located in the tent David pitched for it (II Samuel 6:17; I Chronicles 15:1). The foundation is located in the “holy mountains.” These are the hills upon which Jerusalem was built. They are holy precisely because they are the location of God’s presence in His chosen city. It is to these hills that David lifts up his eyes.

David lifts up his eyes from the situation he finds himself in and looks to the hills of Jerusalem. Instead of looking at the valley he is in, he looks beyond to something higher and more hopeful. Instead of focusing on his problems, he looks up to something that promises to be the solution to his problems. The great temptation of life is to always lower our eyes and fix them on the sorrows and difficulties immediately before us. David, in contrast, looks up and beyond all that.

He asks, “From whence comes my help? What David needed was help. He needed the “very present help in trouble” spoken of in Psalm 46:1. He knew that this help could only come from above, from the one whose presence was in the hills of Jerusalem. His help comes from the Lord, “Who made heaven and earth.” His help comes, therefore, from the one who has sovereign control over all things and who has the power necessary to help. Rather than looking to the situation and the people immediately surrounding him, he looks up to the one who controls every situation and every person. It is from Him that his help will come.

All of us, to one degree or another, need help. From whence will come our help? Like David, our help will come from the Lord, a very present help in trouble.