Last time we saw the overarching plan of God, our redemption in Christ, from Ephesians 1; now we look at Philippians 1 in the light of that to see how it filters down into some practical insights and examples.
When life doesn’t seem like a storybook but a horror novel, what do we do, we go back to the foundation, the author of the whole story and the finisher of our faith, and rekindle our lives into an overcoming flame. In doing this we need to remember a few things…
• Learning to trust is not a onetime event, it is an ongoing process
• Sometimes we have to retrain our trust (like we retrain our bodies after a stroke)
• Knowing secret not enough, we must learn it, experience it and become experienced in it
Remember our basic outline
• Providence – You learn to trust in the providence of God (1:6) Providence is a term to indicate that God provides, but it really means more than that, it means that He orchestrates everything to accomplish His purpose.
• Acting accordingly – You learn to walk in obedient trust (2:12-13).
• Realizing the goal – You learn to treasure God (3:8, 12). You learn to press on (3:12-14)
• Time – You learn to face your fears in faith and the secret of contentment (4:12-13)
Learning to trust in the providence of God – what God starts He finishes – if we understand that God is the one who initiates the process, and is the guarantor of the completion of the process, then we can have complete trust (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
Learn to trust in God’s own righteousness, declare ahead of time that you believe in His plan, all of it, trust His providence, and when trials come you can be filled with the Spirit. |
