...all glory and honor are Yours...

15 You Philippians indeed know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you alone. 16 For even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me help for my needs more than once. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that accumulates to your account. 18 I have been paid in full and have more than enough; I am fully satisfied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God. 19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The friends who are with me greet you. 22 All the saints greet you, especially those of the emperor’s household.

23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Philippians 4:15-23.

These are the closing remarks of Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, and here Paul gives thanks to the followers of Christ for their support of his life and mission. He closes with a beautiful thought — even a prayer — that applies to all of us: “God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen” verses 19& 20.

Here Paul is reminding us that God will provide for ALL of our needs in life, and He has done through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ!

This is basically a statement that summarizes all of life for each of us. We have nothing to worry about in life, even during the most difficult times, because God has already taken care of our every need — and for eternity — through Jesus Christ!

So the challenge for us today is to live with this truth in our thoughts, in our choices, and in our trust in God. In other words, we don’t have to worry about anything that is challenging us this day. We don’t! Because God has already got everything in our life covered! He’s taken care of everything, thanks to his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Through Jesus Christ, God has taken 100% care of everything we will experience in our life. Our most difficult experiences in life, our greatest suffering, all of these things have been resolved with the grace of God, who is Jesus Christ! This is why Christmas and Easter are the centers of life, because in these two miraculous events we have the bookends, the parameters of all that we individually face in life — and Christ has resolved them all.

All God asks of us is to believe in Him and follow Him, and that we give to “our God and Father … all the glory for ever and ever. Amen” verse 20.

This is so important to remember, that when Jesus taught us to pray, the first thing he taught us to do in prayer is to give God all the honor and glory forever: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be (all glory be) Your name!"

Let this be our prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Today’s Prayer

Oh Father God in heaven, we turn to You and give You all the glory

and all the honor You so richly deserve.

May Your Name — Jesus Christ — be all glory and honor.

And may Your kingdom and Your will be done in our life

and in all the world here on earth — just as it is done in Heaven!

Oh Father God, give us today all of Your sufficient grace —

give us what we need, not what we deserve.

And forgive us, have mercy on us,

for all our sins because we love You and honor You.

Let us forgive, then, everyone in our life who has sinned against us.

And Father God, lead us this day

as far away from temptation as possible,

so that our temptations may not lead us to sin.

May we walk away from all evil this day.

In Your holy Name we pray, for all honor and glory is Yours —

through Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen!