“…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 4:11-13)

That last verse – “I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me.” – is one of many texts frequently quoted out of context without any regard to the preceding verses.

If we’re honest with ourselves we cannot deny that we live in a day where this particular verse hardly holds a thread of what the apostle Paul really implied. It is often thrown around like some form of kryptonite in order to convince ourselves in achieving one’s dream, goal, ambition, career, that promotion in work, making that stretch for a 26 mile marathon run, getting those examination results – all the way to making it to the front page of ‘Time’ magazine with all the rest of the celebrities!

This age of Christian thinking is contrary to New Testament Christian thinking. If the apostle Paul were to somehow step into our day and culture he would hardly detect a trace of Spirit-filled Christianity, and we have no excuse or justifiable answer to throw back in defense whatsoever.

Whether we like it or not, many of us who call ourselves Christians are preoccupied with materialistic wealth. Some may not have that luxury but they covet and lust after it! Financial security has been enthroned ‘the Lord of 21st century Christianity’ – not Jesus Christ! No government has done that, the church has!

Many of professing Christians are content with having a good home, secure affluent employment, ample amount of money, with a little bit of God thrown into it! Church attendance and giving of tithes salves the conscience of many to secure their lot. This is the level of Christianity that prevails in our advanced culture. We want God so long as we are safeguarded from hardship, suffering and from counting the cost. No wonder there is hardly any backbone to our profession.

The apostle Paul knew how to be brought low and to be lifted to the heights; so spiritually flexible that at any moment if ill or good unexpectedly came upon him he was anchored into God. He didn’t go adrift, in a state of panic; Paul knew Who he had believed and entrusted his life with Him; no matter what storm would attempt to make shipwreck of his faith, he was able to stand and endure whatever, for he saw Him Who is invisible standing with him.

“In and every circumstance I have learned the Secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” Paul experienced such incredible and glorious times that no words were found to even begin to express what he saw, and then other times he was brought down to the lowest pits of suffering, bewilderment, heartache and insurmountable pressure from all sides that would exhaust us just at the very thought of it. In the very midst of it he could say with David, “If I ascend to heaven, You are there! If I make my bed in sheol, You are there! – even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. No wonder Paul could shout, “Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.” Was he just speaking eloquently and poetically here, having some kind of artistic rapture with words – “shall tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death.”? Of course not! I always stand amazed whenever I read the life of Paul. We see that he was speaking right out of his experience. Paul even takes it higher towards the end of Romans 8 – “angels, rulers, powers, height, depth…” This apostle that wrote the profoundest epistles in our New Testament came up against powers that would turn the likes of you and me pale, for fear. Apart from the death and resurrection of Christ, the kingdom of Satan never had its foundations shaken so violently as when Paul was an ambassador of Christ to the Gentiles (salvation now unto all men – not just to the Jews). He met the fury of the devil himself when he penned those revelations that make up almost half of our New Testament, and two thirds of all the epistles. Is it any wonder he wrote extensively on the armour of God and spiritual warfare?

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Wherever Paul was placed by God, he drew on His all-sufficient grace that enabled him to keep a level head when in the high places, and filled his heart with God’s peace that baffles all human intellect when in the lowest depths. An acute knowledge of God’s sovereignty coursed through His veins – “My heavenly Father knows and has everything under His control. In and every circumstance he could stand victorious.

Paul may seem to contradict himself when he encouraged the believers at Philippi: “My God will supply every need of yours.” but also mentioned only a few verses prior: “I have learned the secret of facing abundance and need.” It is we that misread it and misinterpret God in our circumstances. Paul learned the secret to be content in suffering need when he had to because he trusted God implicitly to provide what he really needed. Paul had to learn it and he did – what progress!

He wasn’t taken up with his interests, his comforts and luxuries, but rather, “I strain forward, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” That ‘forward’ move took place despite the circumstances he found himself in –rather, they promoted his growth in grace.

We will pursue God so long as He supplies our needs at the time we demand it. But what happens when there is no income whatsoever to pay this months mortgage, bills that were due to be paid yesterday, the cupboards that need replenishing with food and when no employment is on the horizon due to the recession – what happens then? We cannot say it will never happen to us when it does happen. It’s one thing to say we trust God when we’re cushioned by all our comforts. Such a person has no inclination whatsoever to know what it really is to trust God while in the comfort zone! A crisis shows whether or not we are confident in God, and that’s where we are more real than any other moment in our lives.

God’s grace is not known in the harbour but in the very ‘deep’ of the sea; it’s known when what we count very dear to ourselves diminishes one by one, but God Himself. We learn to rely on Him, not ourselves, friends, not on our bank account – not on any other hope but God Himself. None of us know that until one goes through it. God will completely strip away every prop and human hope we lean on until we see Him.

There is nothing wrong with having a nice home, a good job and a positive bank balance but that is not our security! So many Christians live and exist for that alone and will not press on – at any cost – to knowing their eternal, inexhaustible and unsearchable riches in Christ. Some of us live like spiritual paupers instead of realizing more and more that we have been made heirs of God, co-heirs with Christ. God have mercy and open our eyes to it! That’s what suffering, tribulation, heartaches and losses does; He will at times allow us to lose what we have wrongly leaned upon in order for our eyes to be opened to the eternal wealth we have in God. He wants us to have His joy that transcends our capacity to fathom it, a joy and security that is eternally founded on Him.

The world economy is not getting any better as some are hoping for; quite the opposite is taking place. We read the statistics in our daily news. In all of the world’s technology, advancements and political regime we are none the better than the last world war; our scientific discoveries only bring destruction on ourselves. No government can be trusted; no welfare and the interests of the people no longer seem secure. Our bleaker seems bleaker than ever. We have been fools to trust in kings rather than in God, and He will shake the nations to disillusion us; He will shake all that can be shaken until all that remains cannot be moved.

God knows we need shelter, clothes and food, but like unbelievers we run after these things to the point where God takes second place. We prefer to worry than trust God with our lives. Worry is a form of insisting on my own way, not God’s. We have been exhorted “Do not to worry about your lives.” Someone may say, “But we’re living in these last terrible days. Jesus said not to be alarmed – “Do not panic” but what? “Lift up your heads…” The consummation of all things is at hand; our redemption and glorification is near. God who clothes the grass, the flowers of the field, feed the birds of the air…and we’re of far more value to God than anything other creature and we still question His wisdom in leading and taking care of us – WE JUST WILL NOT BELIEVE!

If any of us have to endure a little longer with whatever circumstance or nightmare we’re going through we can do it through Him who strengthens us. If He allows it His grace will enable us to stand. We will know He is in control and will He not load us with more than we can handle – it’s happening so that we can stretch His grace and know Him in ways we have not begun to dream. We may feel stretched beyond limit but we will be blessed beyond limit. God will begin to show that in these very things that perplex us we are more than conquerors through Him, Whose love for us will carry on throughout the endless ages of eternity. We will achieve the impossible, the secret in knowing how to be abased, to abound, to live in want and abundance because HE strengthens us to do so – not by us putting on a brave face with a stiff upper lip but rather being filled with an overwhelming realization of absolute confidence in Him who has NEVER failed His promises. The only thing we lose is our blindness and ignorance for a greater knowledge and experience of our glorious God.

Immortal honors rest on Jesus’ head;
My God, my portion, and my Living Bread;
In Him I live, upon Him cast my care;
He saves from death, destruction, and despair.

He is my Refuge in each deep distress;
The Lord my strength and glorious righteousness;
Through floods and flames He leads me safely on,
And daily makes His sovereign goodness known.

My every need He richly will supply;
Nor will His mercy ever let me die;
In Him there dwells a treasure all divine,
And matchless grace has made that treasure mine.

O that my soul could love and praise Him more,
His beauties trace, His majesty adore;
Live near His heart, upon His bosom lean;
Obey His voice, and all His will esteem.

(Hymn by William Gadsby, 1773 – 1884)