August 2019 - God Is Working In You
Since I had the privilege of driving my kids, Aaron and Alicia, to school when they were young, I wanted to make the most of our time together. So, I taught them these Bible verses: Philippians 1:6; 2:13; 4:13 and 4:19. We memorized them, discussed them and to this day, they remind us that God is doing an ongoing, successful work in us. Let’s look at Philippians 2:13 in some different translations:
God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases Him. (TPT)
…it is God who is all the while supplying the impulse, giving you the power to resolve, the strength to perform, the execution of His good pleasure. (Way)
[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. (AMP)
Notice the word “worketh” because when you understand it, your expectation and hope will be limitless! The Greek word for “worketh” is energeo, which is where we get the English word energy. Energeo means: “the divine energy put forth to effectually bring about a tangible, noticeable change.” It literally means it is the will of God to put forth power constantly, in every moment, active at every second that will change our behavior permanently.
God is the One who is constantly putting forth His energy in you. (Wuest)
God Himself is personally working in you. This takes you out of the trying department and into the doing department! When you don’t have the energy or you don’t “want to” press on, just keep saying, “God is working in me.” In the middle of trouble, God Himself is working. He has plans, purposes and divine appointments for you. God will get you in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.
God has made the plans for you and He Himself is working with His energy in you to accomplish them. “For He performs what is appointed for me...” Job 23:14. You are the believer and God is the performer. Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) says, For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.”
YOU WORK IT OUT
People who are serious about their physical development or a sport will hire a trainer, stick to a schedule and will even eat a certain kind of diet. They may have a natural talent for a sport, but they must develop their skills and strengths with certain workouts, even when there is pain. Pain is really a sign that weakness is leaving your body. 1 Tim. 4:8 (AMP) says, “Physical training is of some value (useful for a little), but godliness (spiritual training) is useful and of value in everything and in every way, for it holds promise for the present life and also for the life which is to come.”
God is working in you, but you must personally work it from the inside to the outside. Philippians 2:12 (AMP) says, “…work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).” God’s working in you. Now you work it out.
You might be weak in walking in love or being patient. However, as you begin meditating on the Word and acting on it, you will strengthen yourself in God’s love. Love is in you – you just have to work it out. God has a reputation for working with real losers and making them champions!
At age 17 I got into some trouble with my friends, so my parents sent me to Africa to work with missionaries for the summer. That meant I no longer had those friends, TV, rock music and a car. One night I had a powerful encounter with God - God was working in me. I knew when I got back home, I told my friends I wasn’t going out with them because I needed to study my Bible - I had to work it out! They thought my mom was making me do it, but I wasn’t doing this for mom. Instead, God was working new desires in me. This was serious spiritual training! These are the areas I worked out: 1) Bible Meditation 2) Prayer in the Spirit 3) Identification with Christ 4) Walking in Love and 5) Generosity.
I was never voted the most likely to succeed in my 1973 high school annual, but now I’m the only one in my class to fly over our town in a jet! God has done a good work in my life and I can testify it doesn’t cost to serve God; it pays!
WORK IT OUT
This month we want to offer you some tools that will help you with your spiritual training. We have a brand-new 2 CD set called, “Work It Out.” Along with that we have a wonderful set called, “North Side of the Mountain.” God can make the sweetest music out of the greatest times of adversity in your life. For your offering of $25 or more we will send you these outstanding messages. The love of God will never fail in any situation. It’s shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost and will cause you to walk in victory.
We recently returned from Kenya in East Africa. It was a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord with pastors, ministers and Bible School students who were so hungry to receive from God. We are also anticipating outstanding meetings in Sao Paulo, Brazil September 27 - 30, 2019.
Thank you once again for your faithful partnership with us in World Missions as we spread this message together! We agree with you for a harvest on your seed sown. One thing my daddy said was, “With God payday isn’t always on Friday, or the first, or the fifteenth, but God’s paydays always come (Hebrews 6:10)!”
In Christ,
Mark and Trina