To Encourage You

Philippians 4:11 “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

As you read the verse above penned by the apostle Paul from a stinking Roman prison, and then as you attempt to apply them to your own life, is your reaction, “Amen,” or is it “Are you kidding me?!!”  Your answer and mine will be rooted in our beliefs, i.e., not just what we SAY we believe, but the reality of the faith that we say resides in our hearts.

It’s so easy to look at our circumstances and think such things as “Why me?” or “How long is this going to last?”  It’s so easy, when life becomes difficult, to brood in anxiety as our thoughts turn inward and our vision becomes nearsighted.  But if we call ourselves followers of Christ, do we really believe that we have a Great Shepherd that leads us, or do we think that in THIS situation He’s somehow forgotten about us and we’re on our own.  Do we pine away wondering why, or do we have thoughts like those by which Mordecai encouraged his niece, Queen Esther, “Who knows whether you have not come to (the situation in which you now find yourself) for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

You see, we can know all kinds of things with our minds but fail to believe them in times of testing.  We can mouth the words, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” but then, by our thoughts, words, and actions show that we think this might apply to other valleys occupied by other people, but not the valley that we are now in.  We can quote Romans 8:28 without ever thinking about it, when we should be not just thinking but believing “that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose.”  We can believe that “all things “actually means “all things,” or doubt and believe that these infallible, inerrant, eternal words of the living God mean all things but this thing that is afflicting our life right now.

And so we should ask ourselves such things as, “What’s bothering me right now? What’s irritating me? What is it in my life that I’d rather not have, or what don’t I have that I really need?”  But then we should ask the God we say we are following, “Lord I believe in you. Help my unbelief. Help me to see your hand in my life and please use this situation to make me more like your Son.” And may the Lord help us to not quote from memory but actually believe that “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” And so, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

You see, our Good Shepherd is at work in our circumstances.  That includes ALL our circumstances, including whatever is happening right now.  He knows if there are people that are irritating us, attacking us, or burdening us in a myriad of other ways. He knows we have an enemy who is a roaring lion, seeking to destroy us. But in all of it, He is sovereign. In all of it He reigns. And in all of it, no matter how we might think about it, even if some person or the devil himself “(means) evil against (us) . . . God mean(s) it for good” (Genesis 50:20).  And so we might as well believe it, for even if we don’t, it is most certainly true.