Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].”
Philippians 4:13
The first thought I want to focus on that has the power to transform your life is simple: I can do whatever I need to do in life through Christ. In other words, I can handle whatever life hands me. I wonder, do you believe you can do whatever you need to do in life? Or are there certain things that trigger dread, fear, or cause you to say, “I could never do that!” when you think about them? Whether it’s suddenly losing a loved one, facing a serious unexpected illness, having your adult child with two toddlers move into your meticulously clean and quiet house after you’ve had an “empty nest” for years, going on a strict diet because your life depends on it, putting yourself on a budget to avoid foreclosure on your home, or suddenly having to care for a disabled elderly parent-most people have some kind of circumstance that truly seems impossible to them, something they aren’t sure they can handle.
The fact of the matter is, while some situations may be intensely undesirable or difficult for you, you can do whatever you need to do in life. I know this because God tells us in His Word that we have the strength to do all things because Christ empowers us to do so (see Philippians 4:13). He doesn’t say everything will be easy for us; He doesn’t promise we will enjoy every little thing we do, but we can enjoy life in the midst of doing them. He does guarantee us the strength for everything we need to do because He Himself empowers us and we are sufficient (which is another way of saying we have everything we need) in His sufficiency.
Think about It
What in your life do you need to begin to believe you can do?
Consider The Lilies
I enjoy nature and giving praise to its Creator, but I sometimes wrongly feel guilty for admiring it too much. Then I remember that Jesus used nature as a teaching tool. To encourage people not to worry, He used simple wildflowers as an example. “Consider the lilies,” He said, and then reminded people that even though flowers do no work at all, God dresses them in splendor. His conclusion? If God clothes something temporary in such glory, He surely will do much more for us (Matt. 6:28-34).
Other portions of Scripture indicate that creation is one of the ways God uses to tell us about Himself:
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork,” wrote David. “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge” (Ps. 19:1-2).
“Let the heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge,” Asaph said (50:6).
And Paul wrote, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20).
God so loves us and wants us to know Him that He put evidence of Himself everywhere we look.
Father, Your love is overwhelmingly evident, yet so often we miss it. Thank You for the unfailing reminders of Your grace, love, and mercy. Give us eyes to see Your beauty in Your creation.
In God’s pattern book of nature we can trace many valuable lessons.
Insight
The cosmological argument (first cause) and the teleological argument (argument from design) are two of the many cases for the existence of God. David, however, did not write Psalm 19 to prove God’s existence. Rather, already captivated and awed by the immensity and beauty of the skies, he simply declares that God exists: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (v.1). Nature proclaims and praises the Creator God, who is worthy of our honor and worship. David reflects on how God has revealed Himself to mankind so that we can know Him. First, God reveals Himself through His created works (vv.1-6) and then through His spoken Word (vv.7-14).
Read: Psalm 19:1-6
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. —Psalm 19:1
Bible in a Year:
Numbers 17-19; Mark 6:30-56
