May 20: Insight Post by Rusty Coram

Weekly Focus

Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram

There are some verses in the Bible that are really inviting to memorize and emblazon on T-shirts and coffee cups. They also get passed around a lot as quick advice for those who are struggling. We read one of them this week (I’ve underlined the verse that gets the attention), “¹²I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. ¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12–13 (NLT). There is a big difference in knowing something is true and really knowing something experientially. For instance, I may know that regular HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) exercise is good for my health, but until I have actually invested the time and effort into practicing it, I only know it as a concept, not a personal reality. God wants us to know - really know - that He is not merely willing, but able, to meet every one of our needs as we trust and obey His leading in our lives. This explains why He allows, and sometimes orchestrates, difficulties for us to navigate. He wants us to know, through personal experience, that He can be trusted to provide whatever we need to be strong and faithful. I have vivid memories of times when I was struggling financially, fearful to step up and make a tough decision, tired, and just wanted an easy out. In many situations like these, when I deliberately chose to follow God’s lead and step into the chaos and unknown, He came through with exactly what I needed at just the right time. I have failed Him along the way, but He has never, ever failed me.

Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org