The Apostle Paul wrote the book of Philippians to the church at Philippi. His personal letter stresses the joy that can be found in any situation in our lives even today. Paul delivers his own testimony on the meaning of his life, encourages his readers and instructs them on living in harmony with others and in obedience to God.
In Philippians 4:13 Paul states that I (we) can do all things thru Christ who gives me (us)strength. Some of you just might be thinking, Paul is not living in times like this or going thru what I am going thru right at this moment. Let me share with you, being a Christian in Biblical times was never easy. Paul whose real name was Saul and he did at one time in his own life persecute all Christian. If you go to the book of Acts in the New Testament chapter 9 you will read this story of Saul. As he near his journey on the road to Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him (Saul). He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? “Who are you Lord? Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting, he replied. Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. And so Saul did what Jesus instructed him to do, he later became Paul, a great follow of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus never promise to any of us that once we accepted Him as our own personal Lord and Jesus that we would never go through trials, in order for us to appreciate being on the mountain tops when also must endure the valleys in our lives. Look to the book of Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. I personal don’t know your own struggles that you are dealing with but God does, he hears your silent cries you cry on your pillow at night, as you tried to make sense of it all. I personally deal with a child who is chronic ill with having lupus as well as a few other autoimmune diseases and it is never easy. It took us more then ten years of going from doctor to doctor to try to find out what was making my child so sick. From over the last couple of years from almost dying from the disease, and what ever I have to go thru as a caregiver I draw my strength from God. How so you may ask, from always being in God’s word on a daily basis, sometimes more than once a day. From every doctor visit, hospital visit, or test that she must endure and even chemo, I always carry my bible with me, and before we enter to that facility of whatever needs to get done on her, we both stop in my car and ask God for his strength to open the eyes of the doctors to see what he already knows what is going on in her body, and more important to give us his peace. As you read in John 14:27 Jesus said to his follows: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you, I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. My own strength that I do have from being a caregiver only and I mean only comes from God. All of her doctors are two hours away, (one way) and their have been many, many times, driving to a hospital in the middle of the night with her because that is what she needed, for having maybe a hour of sleep caring for the rest of my family or any other responsibility that I may have, I know that my strength comes from the Living God, the Great I Am. So the next time you feel that you can take another step in your life open up your Bible to get a boost of energy.
Prayer: Dear Lord
I do not know the challengers that your children must go thru but I know you do, O Lord. I ask you to give them the Peace that can only come from you as well as the strength to handle anything. Help to remind them that you are The Great Healer, The Great Physician and the Great I Am, and victory will be your now and forever.
Amen
Grace and Peace to You my Friends
