I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. –Philippians 4v13 NRSV-
Hold your hands up in front of you. Now put down one finger for each word you say, ‘I. Can. Do. All. Things. Through. Christ. Who. Strengthens. Me.’
A friend of mine calls it the ten fingered prayer. And I, like many Christians, have used it to get me through many a stressful situation. An exam, a public speaking engagement, those many assignments or a tough day at work. We use it like a magic word or super pill to give us some secret strength we wouldn’t otherwise have. But it is so much more than that.
When we use it this way, it is still a great verse, but how often do we remember where the Apostle Paul was when he wrote it? He was in the midst of two years imprisonment in Rome, under house arrest and under constant guard, even though he did nothing wrong.
Here is the verse in context:
…for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. –Philippians 4v11b-13 NRSV-
And what’s more, even though Paul was in prison (again), he tells his readers to rejoice!
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice–Philippians 4v4 NRSV-
This wasn’t just some throw-away, happy-go-lucky, make-everything-better catch phrase: Paul knew what it was to suffer. (Read 1 Corinthians 11v25-28!) But through it all he could still say ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’.
It all comes down to one thing. Trust.
Trust is like pulling the rip-cord on a parachute. I have never been sky diving (I would like to go!) but I imagine that until the moment you pull the rip cord, you never quite know for sure that the parachute is going to open. Sure, you can know how the physics work, you can hear others tell of how the parachute opened for them. But until you actually pull the rid cord for yourself…
Early 2009, I was in hospital for a serious, yet straight forward operation. I was supposed to be in there for no more than ten days. But after six operations, five emergencies and three weeks in ICU, those ten days turned into forty-seven. Around day forty, after another failed operation I was at my end. I literally could do nothing but lie in bed, totally at the mercy of the doctors and nursing staff. That night, alone and unable to sleep, all I cried out to God, asking, ‘WHY?!’
In response, God simply said, ‘Trust Me.’
Right then, I had only two choices: give up, or trust my Heavenly Father- even when I had no answers.
I chose to trust. And in that moment I felt an all-encompassing peace surround me. I had never felt God’s love stronger than I did that night. I knew He was with me.
So that is why I, like Paul, know I can do all things: because it is God who gives me the strength to get through. It is also why I can rejoice: because I have hit rock bottom and have discovered beyond all doubt, that whatever happens, I can always trust God.
For those who have faced a similar situation you know what I’m talking about and can rejoice because of that. And for those who haven’t, you can rejoice because you’ve never had to face such a situation.
Yes, in all things I will rejoice! Because when I hit rock bottom, I found that Rock was Christ, my Saviour, my firm foundation. And I know that through Him I can do all things!
For your listening:
Christ is Enough -Hillsong United-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6MzgVsP2uE
The UnApologetic 