And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
We all need hope in life. Many times, we face challenges which leave us wondering if we stand any chance of success. In times like these, an oft repeated proverb is that “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.” While this flows from the tongue quite easily, if we take an honest look at how our lives work, we all have faced situations where despite our will, things simply did not break our way. This is no cause to give up hope and sink into despair. It is a cause to rethink the proverb, and as we have done here, reword it.
Job faced perhaps the darkest circumstances I have ever considered. When we read of the losses he suffered, it is remarkable that he did not lose his faith. While there were times when he began to question God, and think He was mistaken about Job’s righteousness (Job 10), in the end he remained faithful to God. After God reminded Job that He alone is wise (Job 38-41), Job came to the needed realization to overcome his plight. In Job 42:2, Job correctly assessed, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” This is precisely the understanding Job needed in his time of distress. At the end of the day, he learned that trusting God when it makes no earthly sense is the answer to overcoming every troublesome issue in life. It was obvious that Job’s will could not provide the way. There was a will, but there was no way it could prevail. In the end, Job is recompensed many times over (Job 42:12-16). No doubt the pain of losing his children never left him, but he came to recognize that there are things beyond the pale of human wisdom which only God knows. We all must learn to trust God even when from our finite, earthly vantage point it makes no sense at all. Though this is not an easy answer to life’s battles, it is the only reasonable answer to conclude.
While our situation may be impossible on our part, God is able to deliver us from such circumstances. His word never fails (Isaiah 55:10-11), and in the end that which is impossible for men, is possible for God (Matthew 19:26). Though the reward may not be enjoyed in this earthly life, we have the privilege to store up treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21). While not everything we will in this life will come to fruition, it is often the case in retrospect we learn that God’s will was better for us in the long run anyway. The key is to focus our wills on things above, not on things of this earth (Colossians 3:1-4).
This may be easier said than done, but if we learn to do this, the promised reward will never fail nor be taken from us (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Peter 1:3-12; 1 John 3:1-2). In all three of these texts, the call from the apostle is to let the promises propel us to victory over our adversary (Philippians 4:1; 1 Peter 1:13-17; 1 John 3:3). Those who hear His voice can never be plucked from His hand (John 10:27-29). So, we echo Paul’s sentiment concerning his ability to remain faithful in any circumstance: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). In short, where there’s His will, there most certainly is a way (Philippians 4:19).