Don’t fight it. Follow it.

Embrace the distractions and lean into them.

 

How often do you find yourself sitting down to pray, or in my case, lying in bed, wakeful, in the early hours of the morning, and you just can’t focus?

As you begin to pray, the anxiety, the swirling thoughts and all of life’s cares are so loud that your attention is diverted and your mind starts wandering.

You want to bring your requests before the Lord. You have the best of intentions, but you can’t keep your thoughts from jumping all over the place.

Can I help free you from the burden of feeling like you’ve failed?

I heard something recently that did just that for me.

This speaker said, when this happens, “Don’t fight it. Follow it.”

I know that this sounds backwards and wrong. But it has to do with our thinking.

We are led to believe that prayer needs to be this polished conversation, very eloquent, well-articulated and done in some type of orderly fashion.  

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are given examples of how to pray in the Bible, the most well-known is often called the Lord’s prayer (Luke 11) where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. There is a lot to be said on this subject that cannot be covered in just one short post, so I will not go into it here and now.

We do need to address God reverently with awe and humility. But as you read through your Bible, you will see prayer after prayer that is prayed in such a raw, unfiltered, heartfelt and sincere way that I find it difficult to understand that anyone would think less of a person that simply pours their heart out to God in whatever words tumble from their lips wholeheartedly, genuinely and honestly.

Let me break this down. This is how it often goes.

When you set out to pray, whether in the night watches, at a prayer meeting or in your daily devotions, you begin to pray about one thing, but your mind suddenly pulls you towards something else.

You sit down to pray about your finances, but your mind starts drifting to the lady you spoke with on Sunday. You begin to pray about your health, but your mind drifts to your child and their lack of understanding of simple concepts in their Math homework that day. You start to pray about a workmate but your mind drifts towards a ministry in the church you are burdened about. You begin to pray about one thing, and your mind takes to you a totally different thing.

What do you do?

You pray about it.

If your prayer about your finances drifts towards the conversation with the lady on Sunday, then pray for her. Don’t fight the drift. Follow it. Pray for her.

If your prayer about your health drifts towards your child, then pray for them. Don’t fight it. Pray about it.

You get where I’m going with this?

What if the very thing that is distracting you is actually the very thing God is inviting you to pray about?

Don’t fight it. Follow it.

Even if it feels random. And unpolished. And out of order. Or small.

Did you know that prayer isn’t about performance? I have heard many prayers in my lifetime that were so eloquent and so well-articulated that they left me thinking that God would hear them above my own. They made my timid, humble mumblings seem insignificant to say the least.

I’ll say it again. It’s not about performance.

It’s about relationship.

The goal isn’t to speak perfect prayers or well-formed sentences. It’s not about perfection, it’s about presence.

The presence of God.

It’s about being in the presence of God. Coming to him, broken, hurting, needing the refreshing and renewal that only he can bring. Bringing our prayers of lament, or sorrow, or heartache, coming humbly before him and finding peace in his presence.

If God is laying something or someone on your heart and mind that is different than what you started out to pray for, then lean into it. Follow it.

I am easily distracted if I am not in my hyper-focused zone. This is most often the case for me when I’m praying. But even my distractions can lead me deeper in my relationship with God if I bring them to God.

As I pray, about everything and anything that comes to mind, I am exercising a muscle. A prayer muscle, if you will. The more I pray, the stronger my focus gets. It may not be where I thought it would go when I started praying, but the more consistent I am with praying through the distractions, offering prayer on behalf of the ones God brings to mind, as they come to mind, the more I exercise the muscle, the more passionate and sincere my prayers become.

As my mind begins to wander, I don’t fight the wandering, I tell God about it. I let him direct the prayer. I let him lead me to who and what I need to pray for.

If I start to pray with my list of requests in hand, and his love washes over me, causing me to pour out my heart in gratitude to him for his greatness and his goodness towards me, I go with it. I lay aside the requests and I continue my prayer of praise. I know that God will bring those requests back to mind when he is ready.

I know that this may seem weird and maybe a little way out there, but I really feel like somebody needs to hear this today.

Somebody reading this needs to experience the freedom that comes when you let God direct your prayers.

He wants the whole, distracted, messy you. Not some polished version of you that is only a façade.

Every one of us has people in our sphere of influence that are unique to anyone else. God will bring to mind people that in the place of prayer, we may see as random and an interruption to our planned-out prayer, but is actually an ordained, divine appointment.

Don’t fight those moments. Use them to intercede for others.

Let the distraction be an appointment.

Embrace it. Lean into it and most importantly, pray about it.

Philippians 4:6-8 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

Are your legs aching yet?

 

In the world we live in, the majority of us have grown accustomed to comfort. We love to be comfortable. We avoid discomfort. We don’t seem to have the stamina of our ancestors who pioneered before us, venturing into uncharted territories on horseback or bouncing across uneven terrain in a wagon devoid of suspension through all kinds of weather.

Okay, before I go all Little House on the Prairie on you, let me bring it forward to present day.

How often do you find yourself groaning inwardly when the Pastor or visiting speaker asks the congregation to stand for the reading of the Word, be it only 5 verses? Guilty? Yep.

I am working my way through the book of Nehemiah and I’m finding it such an interesting book. If you’re familiar at all with it, you’ll know that Nehemiah was the King’s cupbearer. Word reached Nehemiah that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and the city was left unprotected. He was saddened by this news and his anxiety showed upon his face as he served the King. God answered Nehemiah’s prayers, and he was given permission to return to Jerusalem to rebuild it.

Months have gone by, the city is rebuilt, the people are settled and Ezra the priest comes on the scene. Both Nehemiah and Ezra play pivotal roles in this part of history. Nehemiah built the walls and Ezra restored the worship.

Ezra had an important job to do. That of restoring the worship, teaching the Word of God and leading spiritual revival in Jerusalem.

Fast forward to chapter 8. Read along with me.

Nehemiah 8:1-3 And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

We see in these verses that Ezra begins to read the book of the law to the people. He read from morning until midday. It was a long service! AND the people were attentive! The Hebrew word for attentive has the idea of hanging upon the lips of the speaker, hanging upon every word, pricking up their ears, listening intently, paying close attention.

Not only were they listening to a very long reading lasting for a few hours, but they were also attentive. But wait. There’s more!

Nehemiah 8:5-6 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

Nehemiah 8:7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

Did you catch that? ALL the people stood up. They stood in their place.

So, from morning to midday, the people stood for the reading of the Word. It wasn’t just a few verses. It was a whole book of the law. It was hours long. AND they were attentive.

I bet our Pastors would love to see some dedication like that from their congregations today.

When you come down to verse 18 you see that the people kept the feast seven days and each day there were public readings of the book of the law. How often they stood listening and learning during that time I’m not sure, but I do know that the people were interested in hearing from God and repenting from sin.

Nehemiah 8:18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

And I think that there was some ‘preaching’ going on too, not just reading.

Nehemiah 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

There is so much more in this book of the Bible and a lot to be said about the Feast of the Tabernacles and the whys and hows but I was just so impressed by the people’s dedication and reverence for the Word of God that it really spoke to my heart about the importance I place on the book we often take for granted.

When we hear the Bible read aloud in our churches, do we understand its importance? Do we stand in awe? Or has it become ritualistic and do we see it as just something to endure when long portions are read?

The Word of God holds power. It is wisdom. It is love. It is grace. It is truth. It is light. It is enduring. It is sustaining. It is alive. It is God-breathed.

The Bible is an amazing book. Some books can change your thinking. But the Bible is the only book that can change your nature! It has the ability to transform you from the inside out.

The origin of success is the BIBLE. The Word of God. (Joshua 1:8) Applying the Word of God. Reading with attentiveness and obedience.

Success begins with following God’s Word.

But we can’t follow God’s Word if we don’t know it.

And we won’t know God’s Word if we don’t read it.

The Bible is a book about God. When we study the Bible and look at a passage, we need to ask ourselves, “what does this passage teach me about God and his character?” before we ask it to teach us anything about ourselves.

We are to imitate Christ.

We can’t do that if we don’t know him.

And we can’t know him unless we learn about him.

 And we can’t learn about him if we are not in the Word of God, studying it, meditating on it, memorizing it, applying it, obeying it and letting God reveal himself to us through it. 

As the people in Nehemiah’s day heard the book of the law read, they learned of God’s character and it revealed their own character and shone a light on their sin, causing them to repent and change their ways.

So, the next time you are tempted to groan as you stand for a short reading, spare a thought for the Israelites who stood in awe, reverence and worship, honouring God and listening attentively.

Maybe our comfort zones need ruffling. Maybe our legs need to ache. Maybe we need to stop grumbling. We really don’t have it that bad.

 

Little black dots and lines on a page

 

“We once saw a man draw some black dots. We looked and could make nothing of them but an irregular assemblage of black dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, then a clef at the beginning, and we saw these black dots were musical notes. On sounding them, we were singing,
               “Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
               Praise Him all creatures here below.” 
There are many black dots and black spots in our lives, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them to come. But if we let God come into our lives, and adjust the dots in the proper way, and draw the lines He wants, and separate this from that, and put in the rests at the proper places; out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work!” C. H. P.

Music is a big part of my life. I can’t even imagine a world without music. I love to play it. I love to sing it, and I love to listen to it.

Music holds so much power. It has the power to take you to different places. It has the power to calm your fears, comfort you, bring you peace, bring rest. But it also has the power to hurt and stir up feelings of anger. Music has the power to harm or heal.

If you don’t believe me, read the story of King Saul and the evil spirit that plagued him. (1 Samuel 16). We read how that David played a harp and upon hearing the lovely melodies, Saul was refreshed and the evil spirit departed from him.

And then we read in Exodus 32 about some music coming from the camp of the Israelites as they danced and sang around a golden calf that they had decided was to be their god to worship. This music was not healing music. It was harmful.

Music is NOT neutral. All music wields power.

This past week has seen me practicing for a wedding I am to play for today and it has brought to my attention once again the awesome power that music has in our lives. As I composed a wedding song combining two different melodies causing them to flow in and out seamlessly, I thought about the ways that God writes the unique music to our lives.

Music is one of my favourite ways to worship God. Note, there is a whole lot more to worship than just playing or singing songs about God. But I’m so glad God gave us music and the ability to worship him through its use. We see music first mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 4:21 with Jubal and his skilful use of the harp and the organ.

When I am playing or singing praises to God, I am drawn into a different place. A place of peace. A place of comfort. A place of rest. As I worship God through song, I am seeking to give him the glory and exalt his name as I raise my voice to him.

So, what about these black dots on the page? Do you sometimes question God as to why he puts all the black dots in our lives? We look at our circumstances, and we can’t make head nor tail of them. Nothing God is doing seems to make sense. But maybe it’s because all we’re seeing is little black dots. We’re not seeing the big picture.

God doesn’t always allow us to see the birds eye view. But when he takes his pen, and begins to join the dots, draw in the lines, place the rests in their proper place, add the treble and bass clefs, maybe a few little triplets and pauses too, something beautiful happens. Harmonies are written, and we begin to hear the music.

“Out of the black dots and spots in our lives He will make a glorious harmony. Let us not hinder Him in this glorious work!”

Often, I will write my own melodies. And when I say write, I mean make up songs and sometimes note down chord progressions or notes but not really write out the full tablature. But if I was to begin to fill a page with little black dots and add in some stems, some bar lines, a key signature etc and you took my piece of music and began to pick it out on the keyboard, the melody would start to come out and hopefully flow along to make a pleasant sound.

God’s melodies are so much more beautiful than anything we could ever write.

I’m not talking about music, as in a song, here, I am referring to the music of our lives. The song God writes. The music of our lives. The melody he creates as he weaves the patterns intricately, uniquely and specifically for each one of us.

We pick up the pages and all we see are little black dots. We see symbols we don’t understand. We see long pauses in places we wish they weren’t. We see loud crescendos building and then suddenly there are moments of softness and stillness so quiet we wonder if the music has stopped. We hear haunting minor keys and discordant clashes of notes played together.

If we were to write the music for our lives, we would forever write in major keys. We would leave out the minor sounds, take out some of the rests and the long pauses, maybe slow down the pace a little at times and allow the melody to flow along at a gentle, even pace.

But God knows that we need the minor keys as well as the major ones. The times our lives are playing in a minor key are often times of growth. Many a tremendous difficulty has been turned into a great victory and God’s name has been magnificently glorified. Those times in the darkness, as we sing our sad laments, we are drawn closer to him as we cry out to him and he reveals himself to us and shows us, by his power, what only he can do.

The long pauses, the discordant notes are all part of God’s plan in our lives. He knows what we need to go through in order to purify us and make us more like him.

God has to touch all the keys to make the music of our lives. He has to write in all the fortes and the pianissimos, the pauses and the fast-paced runs. He wants to make a glorious melody of praise, and the ups and downs of our lives contribute to the song that he writes.

So why is it that we think we are master composers, and we try to steal the pen? Why do we think that we have enough wisdom to write our own song? Why do we think we have the skill to accomplish such a feat?

Allow God to write the music of your life. 

Don’t stay his hand when he adds in a minor part. Don’t rush forward when he places a rest in a particular place. Sit still and wait when the pauses come. When you hear a discordant chord, look around for the lesson he is trying to teach you. When the pace picks up, look who’s racing alongside you. He is still with you, bringing the harmonies your song needs.

Let God join the little black dots and form them into something beautiful. Let him write your song. And sing your song of praise to him. Joyfully. Exuberantly. Continually. Loudly. Cheerfully.

 

Psalm 100:1-2 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

 

“When the musician presses the black keys on the great organ, the music is as sweet as when he touches the white ones, but to get the capacity of the instrument he must touch them all”

 

 

 

Do you hear the Music?

 

There is a legend that tells of a German baron who, at his castle on the Rhine, stretched wires from tower to tower, that the winds might convert them into an Aeolian harp. And the soft breezes played about the castle, but no music was born.

But one night there arose a great tempest, and hill and castle were smitten by the fury of the mighty winds. The baron went to the threshold to look out upon the terror of the storm, and the Aeolian harp was filling the air with strains that rang out even above the clamour of the tempest. It needed the tempest to bring out the music!

I’ve often read of Aeolian harps, and they have always fascinated me.

An Aeolian harp is in simple terms, a musical instrument that is played by the wind. It was named after Aeolus, an ancient Greek god and the traditional Aeolian harp is basically a wooden box including a sounding board, with strings stretched lengthwise across two bridges. As the wind blows across it the strings vibrate causing an eerie and ethereal sound.

As the years have gone by, many people have replicated this idea in various forms, from small ornate instruments to massive sculptures located on the roofs of buildings or on a windy hilltop.

The key factor in the ability of the instrument to create its eerie sounds is the wind. The strength and force of the wind determines whether you hear a soft murmur or a haunting wail.

Did you know that back in the 90’s, in an Arizona desert, a huge structure was built as an experiment to research and learn about the Earth’s living systems. Scientists locked themselves in this structure for 2 years, creating mini environments including a desert, a rain forest and even an ocean!

Their findings were interesting. The trees that grew inside this man-made structure, sheltered from the outside weather, grew very rapidly, but they also fell over before reaching full height. When the scientists looked at the root systems and the bark and leaves, they found the missing link. The one crucial missing element – WIND!

Because the trees experienced no wind, they had no resistance and because they had no resistance, they gained no strength. Without the stress of the wind, the trees grew weak and couldn’t hold up their own weight.  

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Think back to the Aeolian harp. What is it that gives it its song? It’s the wind. And the stronger the wind, the louder it sings.

I think that if we’re honest, we all want to live a life protected and sheltered from hardship, struggle or pain. We don’t want the storms of life to crash upon our shores.

But something happens to us when all we have is ease and comfort. We cease to grow. We lack strength.

Resistance doesn’t just challenge us, it changes us!

We see mention of trees over and over in the Word of God and often the imagery is tied to spiritual growth and endurance and strength.

One of the most well-known passages is found in Psalm chapter 1.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

And then we come to verse 3.

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

We see this reference again in Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Here we are reminded of the importance of having delight in and meditating on the Word of God as our source of nourishment. This ensures that we will grow and mature and bear fruit. These trees are planted by the river. They are not growing in a controlled environment under a concrete roof with artificial lighting. No. They are outside, facing the storms, the sunshine and the rain.

Trees don’t grow strong by avoiding the storm, they grow strong by weathering them.

What if the thing you’re trying to escape is the very thing God wants to use to shape you?

That unexplained illness. That job loss. That relationship breakdown. The grief of losing a family member. The financial difficulty. The list could go on and on.

Ease may be nice, but the things that make life easier rarely make us stronger.

In my experience, the storms God brings into my life are the times when he does his best work. It is at these times when the winds blow strongest that my roots grow deepest.

When I look back over my life and all the things I’ve been through, the ups and the downs, it has been the hardest seasons in my life that have produced the most fruit. The winds that blew caused me to bend but not break. My ‘roots’ reached down for a taste of that living water, drinking it in, through study, much prayer and meditation on his Word, bringing nourishment and sustaining me, causing my leaf to stay green and my branches to bear fruit.

And as the wind whistled and howled, a sweet music began to sing all about me. And lest you think I have it all together, sad to say, there have been many times that I resisted the wind, trying instead to shelter from it and fight against it. This didn’t help my spiritual growth at all and needless to say, God had to bring the hard lesson into my life once again to teach me to trust him and bend with his guiding hand in the direction he would have me go.

Yes, God protects us and watches over us, but I think he is less interested in protecting us from the struggles of life and more interested in shaping us through them.  

What if instead of asking God to remove the struggle, to still the storm, to silence the wind, we asked him to use it?

What if we asked him to use it to make us stronger? To mold us and shape us more into his image. To help sink our roots down deeper into his living water. To enable us to help others through what he has taught us.

The storm you’re facing right now is not there to break you. It is there to make you stronger. It is there to help you grow.

Although the storm is not sent to wipe us out, it can make or break us. We can become better or bitter. It’s our choice.

God doesn’t bring the storms into our lives only to abandon us. He is with us in the storm. It’s not about the strength and power of the storm, it’s about who we have in the boat with us. He wants to make something beautiful of our lives. He wants to hear us sing.

What if we could learn to sing through the storm?

What if the wind rushing over us brought out a melody so unique, that caused those around us to hear its song and marvel at so great a God. A God that brings beauty from ashes. A God that creates a song from a broken instrument. One that is yielded unto him, allowing him to strum the strings and bring forth a song of worship.

Listen.

Do you hear the music?

 

They are HIS billows, whether we are toiling 
Through tempest-driven waves that never cease, 
While deep to deep with clamour loud is calling; 
Or at His word they hush themselves in peace. 

They are HIS billows, and He brings us through them; 
So He has promised, so His love will do. 
Keeping and leading, guiding and upholding, 
To His sure harbor, He will bring us through. 

—Excerpt of poem by Annie Johnson Flint

 

 

 

 

 

 

Misunderstood, Misinterpreted, 

Misconstrued and Misapplied

 

In doing some study for an upcoming series of lessons on contentment for our Ladies Bible Study, I was reminded of an old post I had written that I thought timely to repost. I pray that you will learn something as I too did in writing this. 

Are you ever guilty of wrongly interpreting verses of Scripture? Do you find yourself stripping away surrounding verses, removing them from their original context and putting your own spin on them?

Now, I understand that we are not all theologians, myself included, and we will never understand all of Scripture as we wish we could, but if we truly want to know what a Bible verse or passage means, we have to read it in its context.

This was brought to my attention this morning as I read over a very familiar passage found in Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

This particular verse is well-loved and often quoted. We read it on mugs or framed with a picture on a wall, or on a T-shirt. But unfortunately, it is frequently misunderstood and misapplied. Guilty? Yeah, me too.

Contrary to popular belief, this verse is not a promise that God will enable believers to do whatever they want, whenever they want. God is not a cosmic vending machine ready to dispense a desired outcome. Press C4. Now God will grant you the strength to become an Olympic swimmer. No. It doesn’t work like that.

We’re often guilty of eisegesis (reading our thoughts or desires into Scripture), rather than faithful exegesis (drawing out of Scripture what is really there and what is really meant).

After reading through the book of Philippians this morning, this passage in chapter 4 hit me like a ton of bricks and I had to dig deeper.

Maybe it resonated with me more as I have struggled with contentment a lot lately. And possibly, as you read this, you realise that you are facing the same struggles too.

So, if you’re interested in doing a deep dive into these well-known verses, then stay with me. Make yourself a cuppa. We could be here a while.

Just before Paul makes this powerful statement found in verse 13, he writes these words.

Philippians 4:11-12 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

Paul recounts some of the circumstances he has found himself in. Keep in mind where he writes this letter to the church at Philippi from. Prison. Yes. A prisoner in a Roman jail.

Paul reminds us that in the past he has been hungry, and he’s been well-fed. He’s been in need, and he’s been well off. He has found himself on both sides and yet, he has learned to be content.

Remember what I said about context? Verse 13 is not a blanket endorsement that God will support anything we set our minds to and that he will empower us to do the impossible. It’s not a matter of God helping us to do whatever we decide to do. No. It’s an assurance that we can do whatever God calls us to do. See the difference? Not our desires. His desires. But in this context, it is more.

Let’s jump back into verses 11 and 12.

Did you notice that Paul said he had learned to be content? In other words, this didn’t come naturally. He wasn’t born with contentment built in. No. He had to learn it. But how? How do we learn contentment?

Stay with me and I’ll get to that.

Let’s look at 2 words in verse 12. Abased and abound.

Now, I don’t know about you, but abase is not a word I ever use. If we look at it in the Greek, we will see that it has the idea of humility. Humbleness. Bringing low. Modest. Devoid of all haughtiness. Reduced to lower circumstances. And in comparison with the word abound, I think we can gather from this that in being abased, he had suffered need. He had gone hungry. He had been brought low.

In contrast, Paul reminds us that he also knew how to abound. To overflow. To exceed. To have over and above. To be abundant. He had had times where he was well off. Well fed. Living in better circumstances.

But the beautiful thing here, is that Paul had learned to be content with either. Whether he was full or empty, he was content.

He knew how to suffer without being overcome and overwhelmed by it. He knew how to be abased and not lose his faith and trust in God. He didn’t fall into despondency and disbelief in God’s providence just because of his dire circumstances, of which we know he had plenty.

But he also knew how to abound. He knew how to be full, but not proud, secure in himself or boastful. And that’s no mean feat.

For some reason, (and when we look further, we’ll see why), nothing could disturb Paul’s equanimity. Nothing could upset his mental or emotional stability or composure. He was able to remain calm and content under tension and strain and in difficult situations.

How about you? How often is your mental or emotional state affected by your circumstances? I hate to confess, but for me, it is far too often than I care to admit.

So, how in the world did Paul so confidently say, I have learned to be content? It may sound as if Paul is boasting in his own goodness. With his “I” and “I know” statements, we may think that he is proud. But when you get to verse 13 you see the answer to the ‘how’.

Philippians 4:13 KJV - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Do you see the 2 key words? Through Christ.

How did he learn to be content in all circumstances? He learnt how at the feet of Jesus. It was only through Christ that he could learn contentment.

Paul is not boasting about his achievements, he is giving the glory to God. He makes sure we understand that it was only through Christ that he was able to persevere through hard trials. And it was also through Christ that he could enjoy, without self-absorption and pride, the good times.

It is by God’s grace that we can learn to be content in all circumstances. It is through him.

Paul had learned to bring his mind under control and make the best of every circumstance, whether good or bad. There is a lot to be said on the subject of our minds and how our thoughts dictate our actions. I’ll leave that for another time, but it is worth deeper study.

You know as well as I do, that our circumstances are always changing. But the heart of what Paul is trying to say, is that contentment does not and should not depend on our circumstances. Circumstances are always changing, but our contentment can remain constant.

Paul gives us two opposing poles to look at. A lot and a little. Abundance and lack. We will all find ourselves somewhere on that spectrum. It may be somewhere in the middle, but the point is that we can have a contentment in Christ that remains the same.

“Circumstances do not determine our contentment. Our contentment comes because Christ is with us in any set of circumstances”.

Verse 12 gives the context to the secret found in verse 13. It is through Christ which strengthens us.

So why is context so important for interpretation? When Paul says I can do “all things”, he means something very specific. And this is what jumped out at me today. He is referring back to the lot and the little, the abundance and the lack, he found in verse 12.

We can’t take verse 13 as a promise that as believers, we can do anything we desire to do.

Yes, Christ can help us do all things, but they need to be things in line with Scripture and according to His will and His desires. Not our own.

It is through Christ’s strength that we are able to face life’s circumstances with contentment and joy.

Philippians 4:13 KJV - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We need Christ’s strength, not our own, in order to do God’s will. We need his strength to be content. And not only in the difficult times. We need to be careful that we stay content in times of plenty.

Proverbs 30:8-9 KJV - Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

In these verses in Proverbs, we see that riches can cause us to forget the Lord and live as though we have no need of him, just as poverty can cause us to doubt him and go as far as to curse him.

There is danger in both circumstances, poverty or riches, of being discontent.

Let’s take a little look at this word ‘strengthen’ found in Philippians 4:13.

Now, I’m not great at grammar, but I do love looking into words and digging into their meanings.

Matthew Henry says that the word in the original is a participle of the present tense and so indicates a continued act. It is as if Paul is saying: “Through Christ, who is strengthening me, and does continually strengthen me; it is by his constant and renewed strength I am enabled to act in every thing; I wholly depend upon him for all my spiritual power.”

God wants us to be strong and it is by his power that we have this strength. An ongoing strength.

Ephesians 6:10 KJV - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

2 Timothy 2:1 KJV - Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:16 KJV - That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

We can have strength to do all things, but this strength and power must come from Christ. Notice in these verses that it is by God’s strength? ‘In the Lord. In his grace. By his Spirit.’

So, in coming full circle back to our original thought, “I can do all things”, we have to pause and remember that in this context Paul is labouring the point that these ‘all things’ refer to the preceding verses. He wants us to know that we can learn contentment and that we can learn to endure lack or abundance through God’s power and his presence.

I can do all things. I can live content through any circumstance. I can live joyful.

This beautiful verse is not a catch-all phrase to be used as a lucky charm or a phrase we repeat to ourselves in order to justify our desires and the wrong thinking that God will bless everything we do and every choice we make because we have his power and strength.

Yes, it is true that we have access to God’s strength and power, but he can just as easily take it away if we are guilty of misusing it.

James 4:3 KJV - Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

We can’t just apply this verse to all situations and expect God to come through when our will does not line up with his.

I think what hit me the most this morning was the placement of this verse and realizing where it was in Scripture and the fact that the ‘all things’ meant the lot and the little. The good and the bad. The easy and the hard. The plenty and the few.

It struck me that the ‘all things’ that I could do was to learn contentment. I could, through God’s strength, learn to live joyful in all circumstances.

My circumstances don’t have to dictate my happiness. My contentment needs to be based on the person of Jesus Christ.

Paul, in prison, denied freedom, most likely hungry, possibly with a death sentence looming over his head, writes these words, “I can do all things through Christ”.

God never promises that all our earthly problems will go away or be fixed. In fact, the Bible says the opposite in John 16:33 - These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

We will face storms. We will face trials. We will face hardships, but we can learn to have peace and joy and contentment even on our darkest days.

Paul is proof of this. Beaten. Jailed. Whipped. Shipwrecked and eventually killed for his faith, he wrote often about his joy and peace.

Paul’s contentment didn’t come through the power of positive thinking or some inner determination or strength. It was Jesus who gave him strength.

How can we apply this passage to our everyday life?

Don’t let your circumstances determine your joy – We have to put things in their proper perspective. We often think that we need certain things to line up in order to be happy, but the reality is that all we need is Christ. Paul didn’t let his depressing circumstances steal his joy. He was content with the knowledge that Christ was with him and that was enough. God was enough.

Keep your eyes on Jesus- We don’t need to dig deep within ourselves to find some inner strength or resolve in order to make it through trying times. We need to look to Jesus. When we start focusing on all our problems, we lose sight of God, and we forget that he is in control. The world’s philosophy says, “You got this!”. Well, let me break it to you, we don’t got this! If we focus our eyes on Christ, we will be able to navigate the issues we face and get through whatever lies ahead. God’s got this! His power. His strength. His enabling.

In 1 Timothy, Paul exhorts Timothy, and us, to be content.

1 Timothy 6:7-8 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

Contentment has to do with satisfaction, fulfilment, gladness, cheerfulness, restfulness, peace. Paul is warning that rather than striving to accumulate wealth, we as followers of the Lord, should focus our attention on pursuing holiness in conduct, attitude and thought. We should choose to be content in whatever circumstances the Lord puts us in. We can be content.

Contentment is not found in ‘things’. True contentment lies in having faith in God, that whatever he chooses to do in our lives, whatever he chooses to give us, or not give us, is according to his perfect will and we should put our trust in him and be content that he is working for our good.

When the seed of discontentment is sown in our hearts, it begins to grow and pretty soon our whole outlook is one of frustration and ungratefulness.

As these verses tell us, we came into this world with nothing, and we’ll go out with nothing. Interestingly enough, it also tells us that we should be content with food and raiment. Full stop. That’s it. Wow! Food and clothes. Well, we all have that don’t we? But is it enough? We often want so much more.

“If you cannot find happiness, joy, peace, and contentment in the Lord with what He has already done for you in your present- then you will probably not be able to find it with whatever He will want to do for you in your future, since you will always be looking for that next, new, big thing that you think will make you happy, content, and fulfilled.”

It’s true. If we don’t work on being content today, we’re not going to be content in the future. I love how Paul says in Philippians, “I have learned”. In other words, it didn’t come naturally, he had to work at it. It’s something he had to learn. And it’s something we have to learn too. There is hope. We can learn to be content. We can work on it. We can practice contentment. We can do ‘all things’ with Christ’s strength.

Every day, God brings little things, little blessings into our lives that we take for granted. Stop. Take notice of these things. And praise him. Aim for a contented spirit. Keep a record of God’s blessings so that when you begin to feel that discontentment welling up inside of you, you can go back over your list of blessings and praise God once again.

 

Contentment does not mean that I desire nothing,

but rather, it's the simple decision to be happy with what I have.

 

 

Praise that flows from a heart of gratefulness

 

The past few weeks have been hard. I’m not afraid to admit it.

The workload heavy, the mental load cumbersome, physical illness underlying the days activities leaving not only me, but others in our church community, exhausted and weary in body and soul.

But today was different. Today it seemed to me that the wind had changed. The mood lifted. The sun shone brighter. The birds sang louder. The wind rustling the leaves in the trees played the notes of a melody, sweet and inviting.

And I was reminded of a beautiful verse found in the Psalms.

Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Continually. Always. Perpetually.

Not just on the good days. But every day!  

We are to be praising God on a regular basis. Why? Because he commands us to. But also, because it brings glory to him.

Psalm 50:23a Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:

Bringing glory to his name is to be our ultimate goal as a Christian.

1 Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

I love how Charles Spurgeon puts it.

” It is not left to our own option—whether we shall praise God or not. Praise is God’s most righteous due, and every Christian, as the recipient of His grace, is bound to praise God from day to day. We have no commandment prescribing certain hours of song and thanksgiving, but the law written upon the heart teaches us that it is right to praise God; and the unwritten mandate comes to us with as much force as if it had been recorded on the tables of stone or handed to us from the top of thundering Sinai.

Yes, it is the Christian’s duty to praise God. It is not only a pleasurable exercise, but it is the absolute obligation of his life. Do not think you who are always mourning, that you are guiltless in this respect, or imagine that you can discharge your duty to your God without songs of praise. You are bound by the bonds of His love to bless His name so long as you live, and His praise should continually be in your mouth, for you are blessed, in order that you may bless Him.”

Isaiah 43:21 KJV - This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

“If you do not praise God, you are not bringing forth the fruit which He, as the Divine Gardener, has a right to expect at your hands.”

I didn’t find it easy to praise God in the last couple of weeks, but when I took the time to sit and think about and write down my gratitude to him, I found that there were so many things to be thankful for that the only thing my heart could do, was praise him!

What a blessing it is to be able to look beyond the storm, behind the clouds and praise God for who he is. We don’t have to know why he does what he does if we know who he is!

He is the Creator and Sustainer of life, and everything is in his hand. He orders our days. He sends the rain and the sunshine.

As his children and the receivers of his grace and mercy, we are duty bound to praise him. But let us not see it as a duty but an amazing privilege.

How wonderful is it that we worship a God that is so worthy of our thanks! How amazing is it that we can trust his every move even when we don’t understand it!

So, if you’re struggling through your days, finding life harder than usual, take the time to reflect on all you have to be thankful for.

Look up at the sky, listen to the birds’ song, go and soak in that glorious sunset, feel the raindrops on your face, and let his praise be continually in your mouth!

“Let not your harp then hang upon the willows but take it down, and strive, with a grateful heart, to bring forth its loudest music. Arise and chant His praise. With every morning’s dawn, lift up your notes of thanksgiving, and let every setting sun be followed with your song. Belt the earth with your praises; surround it with an atmosphere of melody, and God Himself will hearken from heaven and accept your music.”    C. Spurgeon

“Worship is our love expressed to God as a response to his grace toward us”

 

I see the sun rise in the morning
And a million stars at night
I hear the birds, they can't stop singing hallelujah
I see His goodness when I fall down
And it's grace that picks me up
Every day, I can't stop singing hallelujah

How can you not see God
In every little thing, in every little moment?
How can you not feel loved?
How can you not? How can you not?
'Cause He's in the middle of
Every little thing and every little moment
How can you not see God?
How can you not? How can you not?

I see the sunset and I wonder
If He paints it just for me
Nobody else could make a world so beautiful
How could I question His love when it's everywhere I go
Wherever I look, I find another miracle

How can you not see God
In every little thing, in every little moment?
How can you not feel loved?
How can you not? How can you not?
'Cause He's in the middle of
Every little thing and every little moment
How can you not see God?
How can you not? How can you not?

L.Crawford