“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Phil. 2:13 NLT)
What a great verse today! The verse was given from the New Living Translation, so it wasn’t as familiar to me in this form. I actually went back to the NAS to see jar my memory and what I found was the NLT brought out something I had not considered before. More on that coming up…
Here I see again as in Day 1 that it is God working IN me. He is the One who is continually WORKING. When I think of “working”, I imagine someone focused, attentive, fully involved in whatever he or she is doing. To know that God is exerting that much attention and energy to transform me is an incredible thought. Even as I sit here working on this devotional (if work is what it can be called), God is focusing on me. He is working on me right now with more focus and attention than I am putting into this devotion.
And then I see that in His work, He is giving me the DESIRE to do what pleases Him. Now in the NAS translation, the words are “to will” for His good pleasure. I never really thought about it before, but indeed, Paul is saying that God is working on our wills, our desires to please Him. That is an amazing truth. When I think how stubborn I can be at times, and my will refuses to submit at times to obedience, it is honestly a blessing to know that God is hard at work moving my will toward His. That is a prayer that I must not forget when I think of those without Christ who stubbornly refuse to believe. God can work on wills, even the most stubborn ones! Even mine!
And then lastly, this idea that God is at work giving me the POWER to do what pleases Him. I have no excuse for not doing what pleases Him because He is empowering me to do it. God is working so I might work to please Him. That is a good reminder when I am faced with an act of obedience that is difficult to do on my own strength. To know that God is working behind me and before me is peaceful assurance that it’s not my work that produces, but God who works in me that accomplishes the work.
Lord, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for always working day and night on me to transform my desires and my pursuits and my efforts to please You. I know that my desires and actions aren’t always aligned with Yours, so thank You for working on me to change me. And when I feel like You aren’t there encouraging me along, prodding me on the straight path, help me to remember that You are ALWAYS working to bring me closer to You.