Joy: Week 2 - Day 2

OPENING PRAYER:

Dear Lord, we come to you today with a willingness to learn more about you and to worship you. We can rejoice in anything when you are our everything.

READ: Philippians 4:13

13 “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

REFLECT:

I wonder if non-Christians would see this as the great secret to a saint’s saintly deeds. They would posit: How do they do it? Where is the source of their resolve, their bravery, their wisdom? Where does this perseverance and strength come from? But the Christian knows: God will strengthen us when we are suffering. In fact, we know he uses us through our very real weaknesses. He provides our daily bread. “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” is my senior quote in my high school yearbook. At the time, I think I was referencing a basketball game (indeed I needed a lot of strength there.). Now I can reflect back on my life and know the times that God’s strength propelled me.

APPLY:

This verse would make a really good Mad Lib-style, fill-in-the-blank sentence. I can do ________ through him who gives me strength. Pick your noun!

CLOSING PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, we confess that at certain times, we thought we could do life all on our own. We don’t want to use our own flawed understanding or our own insufficient strength. We need you every hour. Amen.