Meditations from the Book of Philippians part 10 – Week 34 / August 19th

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Paul’s attitude to suffering – Philippians 4:10-19

Paul wrote this most joyful letter from jail; a fact that we have already noted. This in itself is most surprising and indeed a testimony to His faith in God. He knew that he was in jail by the will of God and therefore he could trust this God to look after Him and care for him. This serves to remind us that true believers will walk strange paths as they live out the will of God for their lives. Becoming a Christ Follower is not opting for a journey that is a “bed of roses” but actually for one that that is beyond our ability to walk or endure. The Lord must help us or we will not finish our personal race and we must be prepared for this type of negative reality or we will not accomplish the full will of God for our lives! A sobering challenge indeed. So, with these thoughts in mind let’s turn to the text.

Paul’s faith in God (V10-13)
Paul is thankful for the gifts of clothing and food that the Philippians had sent him and yet, because he knew that he was in the center of God’s will, his source was not the believers but God Himself. God would not fail him and he had learned to be content in all situations, even ones of deprivation. It is a fallacy to say, as we often here being said, that God will never allow His people to go without their needs being met. This passage dispels that notion and rather teaches us that Jesus will enable us to endure need in our day of trial and difficulty. It is in this context that Paul writes, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

There are indeed very few believers who could give this type of testimony today. This is supernatural living and only a living knowledge of Jesus will enable us to experience it.

Paul’s faith in the people of God (V14-18)
The great hallmark of Christianity is love. Paul was blessed and filled with joy because the Philippian believers were demonstrating this type of Christianity; it was the outcome of their faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross. They “shared in his distress” and he knew that God was well pleased with this and would in turn bless them. Though God will always care for His children He expects us to be the vehicle of His provision for them and if he cannot find us to be this vehicle He will find someone else. This is a privilege and we should never see serving, caring and helping others as a chore and burden! If we do and are so consumed with ourselves we place a serious question mark over the sincerity of our faith. For Paul the Philippian believers had borne true fruit of salivation; in this he rejoiced!

Paul’s faith in the future (V19)
Paul could see that the Philippian Church had a bright future because they were pleasing to God, demonstrating the fruit of salvation and a testimony to Jesus’ life in them. They would be the recipients of God’s storehouse of incredible spiritual and physical blessings. This is no doubt one of the most quoted verses of the whole Bible but it will not apply to us if we are not prepared to be God’s solution to the world. There is no shortcut to God’s storehouse of blessings and the quicker we learn this, the better for us. All this reminds us, as Peter put it so well, that in Christ we have “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” Paul had faith in the future of the Philippian Church because they had learned the lesson of what it means to be a giving and receiving people. We must do the same since, having linked our lives to Christ; our futures are not determined by the world but God Himself.

We these final exhortations Paul concludes his letter to the Church at Philippi. His final words recorded in verses 21 to 23 are familiar to his writing style and reflect the fact that God has His people even in Caesar’s household! What a wonderful God we serve!

Malcolm Hedding

©Malcolm Hedding Ministries

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