An Old Family Recipe!

“I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.  Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”   Philippians 4:12-13 (The Message)

This week has been kind of crazy as I have been pushing myself ever closer to the goal of getting us moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma by the end of next week.  I just received notice from our realtor that we successfully passed the Due Diligence period and are now free to finalize all of our moving plans both here and in Oklahoma!  I was quite pleased as almost all of the concerns on the house inspection report were simple wear and tear items like old water stains, a few holes or worn areas in the vinyl siding or wood that might need to be replaced on the back deck.

I had been thinking that I was doing a pretty good job handling everything… that is… until this morning!   I awoke rather early… so what else is new… and found myself fighting off an uncharacteristically high amount of anxious thoughts about all that still needs to be done.  But in the midst of a steaming hot shower, I suddenly found myself speaking out the Word of God and realized the almost instant peace it brought to me, especially when it came to Philippians 4:13, which is and OLD friend of Piper’s and mine since the early days of our relationship!

As soon as I got out of the shower and ready for the day, I headed into the dining room and took the time to really study out that verse… again!  It is uncanny how much encouragement and empowerment that is connected to that portion of scripture.  Before I actually sat down at the table, I stopped at one of the few pictures of Piper still up on the wall and was momentarily hampered by a wave of sorrow, sadness and self-pity as I briefly considered the potential harshness of walking into something entirely new for me without the ability to hold her hand!  But again, I thought of Philippians 4:13 and how the Word says that I can do all things through Christ, and settled right down within the truth of HIS reality!

While studying out the individual words and phrases of the verse, I renewed my understanding that with God’s anointed Word actively working for and through me, I have the strength to overcome anything… including, the world without Piper.  I also took extra special note of Philippians 4:12 as stated in The Message Bible, where it tells us that Philippians 4:13 is the answer to my concerns for today… and every other day for that matter.  Here the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty.” And then goes on to explain that “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”

That, my faithful readers, is the answer to all that we each face throughout our lives.  For me it was this morning, for you it might be another day… perhaps tomorrow.  But no matter what the day is, no matter what the situation or need is, we NOW have the recipe for God’s victory in our lives!  The answer lies in not what you might have been thinking about yourself, or in your abilities, or based on some story someone else has made up about you… the truth of who you and I are is WHO THE WORD SAYS WE ARE!

I was rejuvenated this morning with the FACTS of God’s Word and now know that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (EMTV)  What about you?  Get in the Word and find out all the loving and utterly fantastic things that IT says about you!  It will change your life as you move forth with a correct image of yourself within the empowerment of His Word that you put inside of you! 

Have a great rest of the week, and as you do, do it all within HIS STRENGTH and say with me… “This is my expectation today: that ‘Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.‘”