God's Empowering Presence

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

What a verse! Take time to sit with this one. Break it down—word by word—and then consider the power of the sentence as a whole. Finally, ask yourself if you truly believe what the Apostle Paul declares in these ten words.

I have come to love the word grace. Not only is it the ground of our salvation—God’s unmerited favor—but it is also the source of His empowering presence in daily life. I have come to understand that God will never call me into a situation where His grace will not keep me.

One of my favorite definitions of grace is this: “The empowering presence of God which enables me to be all that God would have me be and to do all that God would have me do.”

I believe this is precisely what Paul had in mind when he wrote to the Christians in Philippi. Whatever God calls us to do or be, He has graciously and generously provided what we need. There is no lack in His provision. If there is any lack, it is in our apprehending of that provision.

This is where faith comes in. By faith we embrace the saving power of God; by faith we daily apprehend His sustaining and keeping power.

It is striking that Paul’s statement echoes Jesus’ words to His disciples: “…apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Jesus states the truth in the negative; Paul states it in the positive. In essence, they say the same thing.

God has promised His empowering presence to every believer, yet not every believer embraces that promise. My forty-nine years as a pastor have shown me this: some Christians seem to draw far more from their Christianity than others. Is God a respecter of persons? No. He is not; He is a respecter of faith. And when, by faith, a Christian takes hold of God’s promises, God meets that believer with His empowering presence.

My fellow believer in Christ, you and I can do all things through Him who strengthens us.