Apostle Paul wrote 13 epistles or letters and became part of the divine and inspired Word of God in the New Testament section of the Bible. However, he was formerly a blasphemer, persecutor, and violent aggressor as he attested in 1 Timothy 1:13.
He wrote although he had all these past negative marks on him, yet, he received mercy because he acted ignorantly in unbelief. Apostle Paul gives people the hope that even though they traveled too far in the wrong direction, God has not finished His good work in you yet, if you listen and come to him in prayer. As the Bible promises God can begin brand new beginnings and make you a new creature, and you will know and experience that the old things passed away and observe new things coming and springing up by His power.

In the letter to Philippians, he points out the navigation secret amid the vicissitudes of lives-unpredictable changes or variations in life, or circumstances, often including difficulties or hardships. This includes job loss, sickness, or financial/career ups and downs.

Paul was a free man who worked with his hands, traveled extensively, and planted churches. However, the circumstances of his life then, when he wrote the letter were not rosy at all. He was in a Roman prison in chains guarded by prison guards. Evaluating his past, he says he was hungry and filled. He was in wants and abundance. He got along with humble means and prosperity times. All because he learned and knew the secret of contentment.

We all are familiar with such alternation of life. If somebody has not yet experienced this, they will have these mutations for sure in life.
Paul is giving the secret of facing down and upturns of life in one sentence and that is this – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13). This verse became the favorite quote for many people throughout human history. My college-going son has this on his wrist chain. I am glad he got the secret early in his life.

It simply means the secret of facing and triumphing over such transformative episodes is through Jesus Christ who strengthens you. If you have Jesus in your life, lean on Him, and seek his face in prayer, you can face such times confidently and come out victoriously. This is because you need God’s diving hand and power that strengthens you to do things that you can’t do by yourself. He is the source of true strength, wisdom, discernment, and power.

Paul ends the book of Philippians with another divinely rich and thought-provoking statement in verse 19. He says, “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

Provided you are connected to God in the person and work of Christ Jesus, the promise is He shall supply all your needs. Did you notice it says, ‘all your needs’. And when God supplies all your needs, how does He supply? It is ‘according to His riches in glory’. Can you imagine God’s richness in all his glory? I can’t. He is rich beyond measure and all wild imagination. All earth and heaven and everything in it belong to Him and the hearts and minds of all people everywhere are in his hand and He turns the hearts according to His plans. Moreover, God created all you see and do not see by the power of the Word. Genesis 1 which gives the account of all the beginning describes this -He said ‘Let there be’ and ”There was’.

The wrap-up, rounding off, the immutable eternal principle is this – you and I can connect with such a powerful and all-sufficient God quickly and momentarily through the only God-given savior of the world, Jesus Christ.
Also, remember ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ and “my God shall supply all your needs according to His richness in glory in Christ Jesus”. God meets all your needs in Christ Jesus according to His richness in glory.