In whatever circumstance . . .

In Deuteronomy 28 God gives Israel a list of 60-plus bad things He’ll let happen to them if they don’t keep His covenant, including,

[59] Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
[60] Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.
[61] Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
[62] And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.”

“That word ‘wonderful’ in the passage means something to wonder at, such as, ‘Man, how much sicker can we get?!’ ” explains Jordan. “God promises, ‘I’ll smite you with the botch of Egypt.’

"I'd just as soon not know what that is! He even promises every sickness and every plague which is NOT written. I mean, He’s going to give them all the ones that are written and then, ‘With the ones I didn’t put in, I’m going to give you those too! And ye shall be left few in number.’

“The trouble that came to Israel gave them an idea about God’s attitude toward them. He says, ‘If you’re not keeping my covenant and you get sick it’s because I made you sick! I’m going to put diseases on you and while you’re laid up in bed trying to recover, I’m going to let the Gentiles swoop in and steal your crops!’

“He says, ‘You’ll be too sick to go out and fight but, if you keep my covenant and a Gentile even pokes his head into your field, one errand boy with a stick can make a thousand of them flee!’

*****

“Under today’s program, Paul says tribulation is designed to work patience and is actually the context for Believers to apply the Bible doctrine that gives them the capacity to gain experience.

“Tribulation will teach you that you better stay by the doctrine because that’s all that works. The only thing going to work in your life is who God’s made you in Christ, and when you stay with that, and you have that patience just to stay with the truth, you get some experience and that experience gives you hope.

“You know, I’ve asked myself this question many times: ‘Why would I want to know about all this information in Scripture if I never had a time in my life when I needed it and could see it live in me?’ And all of a sudden, when you think about it that way, the tribulation isn’t tribulation so much.

“The justice of God can give you peace, but it can’t give you patience. He can give you access, but He can’t give you experience. Patience comes from the experiences of life. You develop persistent fortitude; the unwavering endurance by just sticking with the Word.

“In Galatians 2:20, Paul says the only thing you’re ever going to learn in life, you’re just going to learn it at different, deeper levels, is, ‘I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' "

*****

The great old hymn, Christ Is All, includes the stanza:

“I saw a martyr at the stake,
The flames could not his courage shake,
Nor death his soul appall;
I asked him whence his strength was giv’n;
He looked triumphantly to Heav’n,
And answered, Christ is all. Christ is all, all in all,
Yes, Christ is all in all;
Christ is all, all in all,
Yes, Christ is all in all.”

Paul writes in Philippians 4:11-12, [11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

[12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

“Contentment is that emotional stability that comes from that renewed mind that’s dependent on Christ being enough," explains Jordan. "It’s that strengthening of your inner man by His spirit to give you peace in the circumstances of life. It’s that emotional stability.

“Now, you notice how Paul got it? He says, ‘For I have learned.’ How do you learn? Verse 12 tells you.

“Paul was instructed in some sound doctrine that allowed him to have emotional stability in whatever circumstances there were. Abounding and suffering need; having overabundance and having nothing.

“The circumstances of his life were not what controlled his inner contentment and strength. He learned, meaning he took in some sound doctrine and had an edification that produced a maturity that gave stability.

“It doesn’t come because you pray for it; it comes because the doctrine produces a mindset that then you can apply to the details of your life. It doesn’t come automatically; it comes through the faith application of His Word.

“Paul made an adjustment on the INSIDE, based upon some doctrine, that produced inner strength and gave him the ability to deal with the outside.

“When you find the outside to be a challenge, the way you deal with it is make that internal adjustment that gives you the contentment.

“That’s why verse 13 says, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.’ That ‘all things’ is the ‘all things’ in verses 10-12.

“I can abase; I can abound. I can have people love me; I can have people hate me. I can be rich; I can be poor. I can be hungry; I can be fat. I can live in whatever circumstance through Christ who strengthens me. That’s spiritual strength that comes from having Christ be everything.

“If you follow down through the rest of the chapter, what that did is it produced and resulted in a visible ministry.

“If you look at verse 14 and on, there’s something spiritual going on there: [14] Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction.
[15] Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
[16] For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity.
[17] Not because I desire a gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your account.

“There’s an activity inside of you that’s producing some life outward. Where did this outward working come from? They weren’t trying to gain something from God; they were just being a part of who they were.

“Paul writes in verse 18 and 19, ‘But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.
[19] But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’

“God’s going to supply everything they need. It doesn’t say needs plural—it’s not talking about your physical stuff. It’s talking about God gives you everything you need according to His riches in glory.

“Everything you need to be everything God’s ever made you to be, He’s made available to you, whatever the work of the ministry is, whatever the outreach. He strengthened you with MIGHT in your inner man because you can do ALL things through Christ.

“God has revealed the mystery and you’ve learned it; you’ve got the material. That material will develop maturity as you keep your eyes on His majesty. It will result in an unshakeable motivation to be, in all the details of your life, just who God has made you to be and to have God’s Word 'work effectually' in you that believe.

"Praise God for that and the privilege to be a recipient of such love. Just relax and let God love you and let that be enough.”

(new article tomorrow)