God’s Provisions

Phil 4:10-23

Part 2

How do they do that?!

If you are hungry, turn your thoughts away from your hunger and towards God. If you are broke, turn your thoughts away from your poverty and towards God. If you are emotionally hurt, turn your thoughts away from your emotions and towards God. If you are unemployed, turn your thoughts away from the job and towards God. Think only of Him. Talk to Him. Declare your trust in Him. Know and believe the many promises He gives us. God says that “you can do all things through Christ who strengthens us”. Therefore, we must first turn our thoughts and direction towards Christ. This is the beginning and the source. Once we arrive there, we are then prepared to do the things that are before us. We are then prepared to be content in our suffering. We are then prepared to be content in our abundance. Once we have Christ at the steering wheel and our countenance is set, we can do the things that are needing to be done.

What things do you need His strength to do at this moment? ______________

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Please note that the scripture says ‘through Christ’ which means ‘in Christ’. The things we are to do should be the things of Christ. He is not going to give us the strength to rob a bank but He will give us the strength to be full of joy, to share the gospel, to work and feed ourselves, to be healthy. J.Vernon McGee compares this to a train on a track. As long as the train is on the track and going forward all is well. Once it falls off or strays off the track there is a problem. We are to abide in Christ and He in us. This is how He strengthens us. He cannot strengthen us if we are nowhere near Him. We cannot be near Him if we don’t read the bible, fellowship with others in the House of the Lord, if we don’t pray and think about Him constantly.

Think Not Of Yourself

Phil 4:10-23

Paul models to us, in verses 17 and 18, that receiving the fruit of our spiritual investments in other people is greater than any physical provision. The church of Philippi sent Epaphroditus to Paul with a care basket and to help him in his time of need. Paul was in jail and yet he was writing and teaching the church by this letter. Even though he was in jail he felt he was amply supplied. Paul let the church know that this care basket and messenger was an offering to God, an aroma fragrant to Him. Know that our offerings and care for others is likewise.

This was a church that he had planted on his 2^nd missionary trip. This was the church that was founded with Lydia (the first convert in Europe) and the jailer whom had held Paul and Silas. Paul brought them the gospel and they received the salvation and were baptized.

Now, 10 years later they were ministering to Paul. Paul’s spiritual investment was now reaping fruit. Paul originally invested in them during a time of reasonable abundance mixed with trials and also in his time of affliction. Paul did not say that he couldn’t serve Christ because he was in jail….no, he served Christ while in jail and was miraculously released. Paul was given favor and even sent on his way.

So you see, during his time of affliction Paul always kept his eyes on Christ. Paul kept on serving Him and let Christ take care of his physical needs. Paul suffered much physical trial and want. Yet, Paul always thought of others first and again, Christ took care of his physical needs. Suggest also reading Acts 16:12-40

List a few things you can do to put others first: ___________________________

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