YOU SURELY DID CARE
Sunday 26
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.”
Philippians 4:10 (NKJV)
READ: Philippians 4:10–20
Apostle Paul was talking about the care of the Philippian believers. One thing to be noticed in the passage is that one may care but the opportunity to show or express the care might not be there. The Philippians did care but they had no opportunity to show their care. Love or care for others can be expressed when the opportunity is there. You do not wait until you have a big sum before you show your care or love to others. Whenever the opportunity is there, no matter how little or big what you have is, you should just go ahead and show the love or care.
That said, Apostle Paul also mentioned his ability to endure and be content with whatever state he finds himself. In whatever state he is, Paul said he had learned to be content (Philippians 4:10). This issue of contentment is foreign or strange to some believers. A believer should be contented in God, whatever is made available or not. In verse 12, Apostle Paul said further that he knows how to be abased and how to abound, to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need (Philippians 4:12). These attributes of contentment and ability to endure all things are very important for whoever wants to follow God and would be used for one assignment or another.
If you are to be a missionary, you are to be sent out for a particular assignment, contentment and ability to endure and suffer need should be part of your life. Apostle Paul further said that he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13). If you are to be used of the Lord, you should be able to do all things, relying on Christ Jesus for strength. God strengthens when your faith and focus are on Him (2 Corinthians 12:9,10). You look onto God for your help and for your needs to be met in the work of ministry (Psalm 121:1,2). This also is an aspect of unwavering commitment and total submissiveness.
Most of the people who could not discipline themselves to live such a life would not be what God wanted them to be. Furthermore, it all depends on the type of assignment God has for you. If your assignment entails missions and it is cross-cultural, you might be required to imbibe and buy into what Paul shared in this portion of his epistle to the Philippians (Philippians 4:11-13). When you buy into this idea, you will be able to stand without murmuring when it seems things are rough and tough and you could not get your needs met.
That was why Paul was saying he could boastfully talk of his integrity. Saying, he had never craftily taken anything from anyone through dubiousness (Acts 20:33,34; 2 Corinthians 11:9; 12:14-18). A word to everyone reading this: A genuine minister of God might not necessarily ask you to give to him as regards his needs. Such may prefer to quietly talk to God about it and allow God to touch whoever He wishes to use for the purpose. However, as a believer who is being blessed under a minister of God, you should also think about the welfare of the person being used for your spiritual upliftment:
“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.”
Galatians 6:6 (NKJV)
The Philippians shared in Paul’s distress (Philippians 4:14). Apostle Paul shared about how no one shared with him concerning giving and receiving, except the Philippians (Philippians 4:15). They even sent aid once and again for his necessities when he was in Thessalonica (Philippians 4:16). We could see that the Philippians were generous and open-handed when it comes to the giving of material things.
Apostle Paul quickly noted that he was not saying all he was saying because he was seeking the gift. He was saying it that God might bless the Philippians, seeking the fruit that would abound to their account (Philippians 4:17). And that was exactly what Apostle Paul did to the Philippians: he pronounced a blessing on them that God will supply their needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:18,19). A believer can corner God for blessings. When you give something to a minister of God that touches his heart, and he blesses you with all his heart, God cannot but honour such a prayer. Give and you shall be blessed!
REFLECT:
• Are you expressing the care and love you have for others in practical and tangible ways?
• How is your contentment level in God? Are there areas where you are struggling with discontentment in what God has provided?
Peace.
July 2026 Edification Daily Devotional is here. Download your free copy:
• Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/.../1SBQMPzCqlmRnvNuP4um.../view...
• Telegram: https://t.me/Bethel_Digital_Library/42