Philippians 4:13 When Do I Need God’s Help?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (NKJV).
I think we all like to quote Philippians 4:13, and we may even believe it almost all the time. It’s great to have the confidence that Jesus Christ is backing me up or even going before me to prepare the way so I can go through to victory. Do you ever have tasks to do, and think, “I don’t need God’s help. I can do this on my own.”? If we look at the picture above and know that we have to get from the foreground to beyond the imposing cliffs across the water, we may realize that we need God’s help. But when do we need it? “I can swim across the water on my own. I can walk over the rounded hills just across the water, but I think I need His help to get over the cliffs.” All of that may be true, but is it best for us to count on our own strength for the “easy” parts and reserve the request for God’s help for when we get to the hardest part? It will probably work that way, but I would like to have Jesus Christ beside me the whole journey. If there is unseen danger under the water, like a strong current, will I be able to swim against it? What if there are wild animals or serpents hidden in the foothills? I’d certainly like to have Jesus with me in those circumstances. Okay, it’s good to have His help for unseen dangers, but I think there’s a better reason to have the help of Jesus Christ for the entire journey. Any time I am with Him, I experience His love. It’s a much better experience when we walk with Him and talk with Him the whole time. Whenever I am in the great outdoors that He created, I like to know that the one who created all this is right with me, that He loves me enough to spend time with me during even the “easy” times of my life. Thank you, Lord, for being ever present.