God at Work in Us

For God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (Phil. 2:13)

Ps. 51:10; Isa. 40:31; Jer. 10:23; Jn. 15:4-5; I Cor. 3:9; II Cor. 3:5, 4:16

What Is God Saying?

Paul loved the Church at Philippi. We want to see the best coming to those we love, and we are blessed when we see the best coming from those we love. That is why Paul appeals for Christian unity among the believers. He stresses the need for humility, sympathy, and love in the body of believers. Selfishness and pride must be eradicated. Thoughtfulness and a desire for the good of others must be the driving force.

This is best illustrated in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul provides us with the best possible description of the Incarnation (God in human flesh) that has ever been written (Phil. 2:5-8): ‘Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.’ Sense His humility. Imitate His willingness to be a servant. Follow the path of loving obedience. Don't count the cost. Then there will be glory, exultation, joy, and freedom incarnate in the Christian Body. ‘God is at work in you to will and to work for His good pleasure.’ Let Him do it for our ultimate good and the strength and witness of the Church.

How Does This Apply To Us?

God has a purpose, a blueprint of beauty and wholeness, for every life. We can usually tell whether a building is going up or coming down. Demolition leaves debris scattered around. It looks deserted and broken. The lines are crooked, the edges are jagged, and the glass is shattered, but a building under construction shows design. Cranes are working to get things to their proper places. The lines are straight. There are few senseless shapes or sharp edges. The building is taking place, there is a design. Woe to the construction worker who thinks he has a better plan, who puts things in the wrong place, or who does things his way. So God is at work in us to do His will according to His design. For the blessing of God on ourselves and others, let the One who designs be the One who directs. It's the only way to make a good building or a good life.

Pray With Me

Thank You, Lord, for the grace that continues to strengthen me in weakness. Thank You for the love that continues to bear patiently with my faults. Thank You for putting in my heart the confidence that the best is yet to be. Thank You for being at work in me. It is good to know that I was not made to be forgotten. I am not a piece of equipment that, once built, is allowed to wear out in use or to rust out in idleness. I am not a painting to be hung on a wall or a marble sculpture to be displayed in a park. You made me, Lord, and you are still making me. The work goes on. I feel the creative touch of the Master. I hear the counsel of the wise Teacher. I bear the chastening rebuke of the loving Father. I am strengthened by the encouraging Presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, ‘Lo, I am with you always.’ He is not with me for a season then gone, absorbed in another project, busy with someone else. He is with me forever.

I am being fashioned for a use that has meaning. I am not allowed to slip into disuse that is demeaning. You are at work in me, and I thank You, Father. Let me accept this as present reality. Let me know that You have a plan for my life and that You are working it out in my life. You are at work now. I thank You for any pain that stirs me from slumber. I thank You for any disappointment that makes me rely more completely on Your will. I am grateful for this. I believe that when You work in me for Your good pleasure, You are working in me for my ultimate good and my eternal pleasure. When Your will becomes my will then Your good pleasure becomes my good pleasure.

In the name of Him who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross and began the good work which He now continues by the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

Prayer is like a job foreman on a new building site. He makes many trips from the actual construction to the shed which houses the blueprints. He is checking, measuring, and refreshing his memory. So, in prayer, we discover how accurately our lives are measuring up to God's ideal. In prayer, we check to see if we are using the right materials in the right place. We ensure that God's perfect design is neither hindered nor frustrated.

• It's His work.

• It's His way.

• It's His idea.

• It's His blessing.

• It's His glory.