Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength."
Has anyone ever seen the animated movie Dumbo? Many of us probably have, in fact, it was a classic I grew up with and I have seen it several times. During the beginning of the movie, they play a sequence of the circus loading the train and then heading down the tracks to their next destination. As the music plays the train goes chugging along. Suddenly the train comes to a steep mountain and with all the weight it looks like the train won’t be able to make the climb. Suddenly you can hear the train say, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” as he begins to climb the hill. Then the train continues to chant this as it comes to the crest of the mountain and then begins its downward ride down the other side. As it swooshes down the mountain you can hear it chant, “I thought I could, I thought I could, I thought I could, Choo Choo”
Although a silly animated movie we can still learn a lesson. Christians can sometimes have the same problem when it comes to their faith. They see the mountain thinking they aren't prepared as they think they are to take on such a climb. They may underestimate their abilities to serve God.
There's a story in Acts about a time Paul went to preach in Corinth. There he met Aquilla and Priscilla who opened their doors for Paul to stay. They helped him with his teaching and even followed him on some of his teachings. Now, notice what it says in acts 18:3, “Because they were tentmakers….”
Aquilla and Priscilla were not evangelists, they had no gospel experience. They could have seen Paul's visit as a mountain too steep to climb. Yet, they stepped out of their comfort zone saying, “I think I can.” As they grew with Paul’s teaching so did their service for the Lord and they were able to say, “I thought I could.”
Perhaps, when we see the mountains ahead, we need the same mindset. Nothing is impossible for God and if He led us there, we need to go forward saying, “I know I can.” When we accept Jesus into our life, He gives us all talents to use to serve Him. When we study God's Word, pray to Jesus, and build a relationship with Him we don't need to question our abilities or think we need more time. God has already equipped us to serve, we just need to ask what we can do to serve. Hebrews 13:20-21, “I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so you can do what he wants. God raised from the dead our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, because of the blood of his death. His blood began the eternal agreement that God made with his people. I pray that God will do in us what pleases him, through Jesus Christ, and to him be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
Whenever you may feel unable to serve as God asks, remember this. When God calls, He equips. When God calls, He also enables. When God calls, He provides. When God calls you, He qualifies you!
I want to encourage all my readers as well as myself that it is absolutely essential, after coming to faith in Christ, to be radically, deeply, experientially devoted — unshakably, unwaveringly persuaded — that reading and meditating on and understanding and memorizing and enjoying the Scriptures is absolutely essential for the Christian life, which would include being in the word every day with the aim that we will meet God there and, little by little, the glory of his truth will fill and transform our lives.
One reason is that scripture imparts grace and peace. "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." (2 Peter 1:2)
Knowledge of God gained through Scripture is not identical with grace, but Peter says it is a means of grace. If we want to be made peaceful and powerful through divine grace, Peter says, it happens “in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” That knowledge is found in one place: Scripture.
Let's begin our new study in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and see what new things we can learn from Jesus.
Study 1, 2 Corinthians chapter 1- https://www.docdroid.net/WjT41av/study-1-docx
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