Through Him Who Strengthens Me

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:10-13 ESV).

Isn’t it encouraging and comforting when other people show concern for you and for your welfare? When they ask how you are doing, or they inquire as to what is going on in your life and if you need anything, or if you need prayer for anything? And I am certain for Paul, who was in prison many years, that he would have greatly been encouraged when those within the family of God expressed concern for his welfare and inquired as to his needs. And I know we all need to be sensitive to the needs of others.

I know that when he was not in prison that he often or frequently earned a living making tents. So he was not someone who was dependent on the financial support of others. And he was not someone who was always asking for financial support, either, as best as I can recall. For he did not want to be a burden to the people, although he certainly appreciated it when people offered to help him. For his dependency was in the Lord Jesus to supply his needs. For he had learned to be content regardless of his situation.

For, he stated, that he knew how to be brought low, and he also knew how to abound. And I identify with that. For I grew up in a very poor family, and part of the time I was growing up my family lived on social welfare, depending on the government to help supply some of our needs, but not for long. And my husband and I were never wealthy, even at times when he made a good income, for we had four children and a house and bills to pay and everything was so super expensive.

I can recall times as a child and times in my married life when we didn’t know where the next meal was going to come from or how we were going to pay the rent (or house payment), but God always supplied for our needs, not necessarily for our wants, and not always in surplus. But what we needed was there when we needed it, even if it was minimal. For there is a huge difference between needs and wants. And sometimes that might be something we might get confused if we are not careful.

But I love what he says next here. For he said that in any and every circumstance that he had learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. No matter if he had surplus or just enough or even not enough, he had learned to be content and to trust the Lord with his life’s circumstances. And the Lord taught me several years ago that we can live on very little, even on very little food. So we don’t really “need,” as Americans, what we may be used to having, when it comes right down to it.

Now this last Scripture verse here is often quoted by people out of context and made to say what it does not say. So, we must read and interpret these words in their context to get the correct understanding. For outside this particular context, the verse can have all sorts of distorted meanings. For it says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” But he means “all things” in relation to what he just talked about, i.e. about being in need and not being in need, and learning to be content in all situations.

The verse should not be taken independent of this passage in context, because then people can get the ideal that they can literally do “all things,” i.e. anything they want, basically, through Christ. And, although I am certain that they are not meaning sinful things, though some may, but still this is not saying that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, or else this can stretch to all sorts of secular things that are not of God at all and that he is not supplying us with the strength to do.

So, this is one of the reasons I often stress context, because too many people are taking Scriptures out of their context and they are applying them in ways that should not be done if taught within the proper context. So, it isn’t that we can do “all things” in the strength of the Lord, but that we can endure not having much at all and we can learn how to manage our finances when we have surplus, too, which we don’t really have (I don’t). In the strength of the Lord we can learn to be content regardless of our circumstances. And that really is the lesson being taught here.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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