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This text that we have for today
is a most encouraging scripture
for anyone who may feel disheartened.
It says: “For God is the one
“who for the sake of his good pleasure
“energizes you, giving you both the desire
and the power to act.”
So we learn two things from these words.
One is Jehovah wants to help us.
It is “his good pleasure.”
And two, he will give us power
—power from his holy spirit,
the most powerful force in the universe.
We all know that Jehovah is our Friend
and that he is our Friend forever,
and we hold on to that friendship
with all our heart and our strength.
But we also know that Satan tries
to break that attachment with Jehovah,
and he uses trials and tribulations
to try to break us,
to break our determination.
Let’s read about this
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 3.
And we’ll read from verse 2
—1 Thessalonians chapter 3
and from verse 2.
It says: “And we sent Timothy,
“our brother and God’s minister
in the good news about the Christ,
“to make you firm and comfort you
regarding your faith,
“so that no one might be shaken
by these tribulations.
“For you yourselves know
that we cannot avoid suffering such things.
“For when we were with you,
we used to tell you in advance
“that we would suffer tribulation,
and that is what has happened,
just as you know.”
The purpose of Satan’s persecution
is that we will “be shaken.”
But what does that mean?
It means that we will be weakened
—our confidence in Jehovah
will be weakened.
What Satan does is that he tries
to hit at our deepest emotions.
In reality, he tries to break our heart.
And sometimes
we may feel so discouraged.
What Satan wants us to do
is he wants us to feel
that Jehovah caused it,
that Jehovah is responsible.
And then he plants
little seeds of doubt in our mind.
We begin to wonder:
‘Why does Jehovah
allow those things to happen to me?’
‘What did I do wrong?’
‘Why does Jehovah
‘express such strong displeasure in me?
Does he still love me?’
And when these trials go on and on,
we can feel so overwhelmed
that we just want to give up.
Almost like Elijah
—we may experience an Elijah moment.
Remember when he was fleeing
from Queen Jezebel?
He was in the wilderness.
He laid down under the tree.
He said to Jehovah: ‘Take away my life.’
He just wanted to curl up and die.
Then Jehovah sent him an angel,
and he gave him some water and bread.
And that weak man got up
and traveled almost 300 miles (500 km),
40 days and 40 nights
without drinking or eating,
to Mount Horeb.
And in the mountain,
Jehovah energized Elijah.
He gave him a purpose.
He comforted him.
He reassured him
that He loved him with all His heart.
And Elijah carried on serving Jehovah.
Now about us,
Jehovah knows
exactly what we go through
and how we feel.
He wants to give us life.
Remember, he provided the ransom
at great cost to himself.
It is for us.
So how should we approach
our trials in life?
Here in Philippians chapter 2,
Paul explains from the example of Jesus.
He gives the example of Jesus,
and we can learn much
from the way Jesus handled the tribulations.
We’ll turn to Philippians chapter 2,
and we’ll read from verse 5.
It says to “keep this mental attitude in you
“that was also in Christ Jesus,
“who, although he was existing in God’s form
[in God’s form].”
We read from verse 7
that “he emptied himself
and took a slave’s form
and became human.”
He left his position in heaven.
“He emptied himself,”
divested himself of all powers.
He became a baby
and then grew up as a human,
as a grown man.
But he was still very tiny
and weak in comparison
to the position he had before,
when he was “Michael,
one of the foremost princes” in the heavens.
But look at what it says in verse 8:
“More than that
“[more than becoming a human, it says],
“when he came as a man,
he humbled himself
“and became obedient to the point of death,
yes, death on a torture stake.”
This was very difficult for Jesus.
It was not easy.
Let us read here in Luke 22
and see how difficult it was.
It describes it here in Luke chapter 22,
and we’ll go to verse 42.
Jesus says: “Father, if you want to,
“remove this cup from me.
“Nevertheless, let, not my will,
but yours take place.”
What a beautiful attitude!
And “then an angel from heaven
appeared to him and strengthened him.”
Even so, let’s read verse 44:
“But he was in such agony
“that he kept praying more earnestly;
and his sweat became as drops of blood
falling to the ground.”
Can you imagine the agony Jesus felt?
Now we’ll read from verse 45 on.
“When he rose from prayer,”
he “went to the disciples.”
And look what it says in verse 46:
“Why are you sleeping?
Get up and keep praying,
so that you do not enter into temptation.”
Jehovah strengthened him.
He was determined to go on,
and not only himself
but he even encouraged others.
Let us go back there to Philippians chapter 2
and see how Jehovah God responded.
Philippians chapter 2,
now we’ll read verse 9:
“For this very reason,
“God exalted him to a superior position
and kindly gave him the name
that is above every other name.”
See how Jehovah energized Jesus,
empowered him?
Now he has power in heaven.
He is immortal.
He has powers
that he never even had before.
He will destroy Satan,
obliterate Satan’s system,
bring about a new world,
resurrect billions of people,
and give them everlasting life
—talk about being empowered,
energized, with holy spirit.
But, now, what about us?
What does Jehovah expect from us?
Let us read here Philippians 2:12
—Philippians 2:12.
This is what Jehovah expects from us.
The B part, it says:
“Keep working out your own salvation
with fear and trembling.”
“Your own salvation”
—no one else can do it for us.
But it says do it “with fear and trembling.”
If we were strong,
it wouldn’t say “with fear and trembling.”
We need to rely on Jehovah.
Jehovah knows we are imperfect and weak,
but he can give us
“the desire and the power”
to rely on him.
Follow the example of Jesus,
two things he did:
He did Jehovah’s will,
and second,
he prayed even “more earnestly.”
So in summary, four points:
“for the sake of [God’s]
good pleasure,”
he wants us to be successful;
the second point,
he gives us holy spirit,
the most powerful force in the universe;
the third point, he gives us
the desire to do his will
and, the fourth point,
the power to do his will.
Truly, as Paul says, Philippians 4:13:
‘For all things I have the strength
through Him who gives power to me.’

Izak Marais: Jehovah Gives Us the Desire and Power to Act (Phil. 2:13)