I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.- Philippians 4:13

This verse has brought great comfort and encouragement to my own life as well as countless others over the centuries.

In true fashion, the word of God never runs dry and continues to evolve as we draw closer to Christ. Passages take on new meanings as our faith grows and new challenges arise to stunt our progress. His promises are faithful and trustworthy in all situations.

Surely we will receive what we need to overcome and praise God for his mercy that knows no bounds. But there is an area within this realm that is overlooked and can affect our faith in the midst of the storms.

That subject is contentment. Earlier in this chapter Paul, the apostle speaks about how to be stable and consistent regardless of the outcome. It's easy to be encouraged when things work out for the best in regards to our needs being met in those moments.

As we all have come to understand God allows us to experience trials and does not always rescue us from them. That does not mean he is any less faithful in responding to our cries for help. It simply means he is at work in developing our character and trust that he knows what he is doing in the bigger picture and will respond according to his master plan.

Paul understood this and learned to be content in any situation good or bad. If anything it caused his faith to grow as he was able to rejoice in the fact that Jesus set the example before him on how to react in all situations.

Doing so gave him great confidence that if Christ could endure anything so could he if he was willing to ignore his own expectations and rejoice in the process.

May we all find encouragement in knowing God's love for us never waivers in the midst of the trials but that he is faithful and true and will work all things out for our best interest that he may be glorified.