Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
If we look at the context of this entire 4th chapter we can see that Paul is not saying that we can do anything we want or that God will grant us every request. Paul was saying that he can persevere in the faith because it is Christ who will strengthen him. Why did he need strengthening? It was because Paul had been enduring tortures, beatings, hunger, cold, and all kinds of sufferings. In all these things he learned to be content (Phil 4:11). Jesus said that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5) but through Christ, we “can do all things” because He Himself will strengthen us if it is for His glory.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare [literally “peace”] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
God knows the plans that He has for us but it does not say that we have to know. God declares that His plans are for our best (welfare) and they are not for bad (evil). These plans are for our future hope. If we believe this, we can pillow our head on the sovereignty of God. Knowing that God is in control should give us peace of mind. I saw a license plate that said “God is my co-pilot.” I would rather it read that “God is my pilot” and I am the co-pilot.
