"Able"

 Are you able, I can do it,

They asked me on the ranch,

I had just stepped on my pony,

And was waiting for a chance,

To show ‘em all that I could do,

Been throwing that old rope,

Had just enough experience,

To give a little hope,

That I could catch that wild one,

They said had just escaped,

And if, by gosh, I found him,

He’d realize he’s draped,

With a loop that I am sending,

Close around his horns,

So here I go to chase him,

No caution or forewarns.

And sure enough I caught him,

That’s when the fight began,

Eight hundred pounds of angry steer,

And I was running out of “can.”

When the cowboss he came runnin’,

And scooped up both his heels,

And together we just laid him down,

It was quite a cowboy deal.

And, yes, I guess I did all right,

But, bottom line, you know,

It might have turned out different,

Without some help, and so,

I’ve thought about it many times,

When with overconfidence,

I thought I could handle life,

Then all my strength was spent,

And I had to admit that,

I really needed more,

From the Good Lord up above,

And those who know the score.

He said we can do all things,

If we just depend on Him,

But if it’s just about our strength,

Our chances go way slim.

Are you able, I can do it,

But only it’s because,

I can do all things through Christ,

And trust Him without pause.

“For I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength…” (Philippians 4:13, NLT)

Paul is speaking about learning how to be content in every circumstance. Remember, he wrote this letter from a jail cell in Rome. Yet he encourages the Philippian church to learn the secret of personal contentment no matter their situation. The heart of the message is that Christ will give them strength. It’s one thing to be confident. It’s another to have God-confidence. And when we learn to rely on His strength and power flowing through us, everything changes. The possibilities are endless!

Lord, help us to rely completely on Your strength, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Clark Kelley Price, clarkkelleyprice.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Clark, and God bless you.