Meaning Well… Philippians 4:19

“Meaning Well”
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
A man found a cocoon of a butterfly with a small opening.
He watched as it struggled to force its body through that little
hole. Then, it seemed to stop making any progress. He
decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and
snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly
emerged easily.
However, its body was swollen and small, and it wings
shriveled. He continued to watch because he expected that, at
any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to support
the body. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the
rest of its short life, crawling, with a swollen body and
shriveled wings … IT NEVER FLEW!
The man didn’t understand that the restricting cocoon and
the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge through the
tiny hole was God’s way of forcing fluid from its body, into the
wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it came from the
cocoon. Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need:
I asked for strength, God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom-God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for prosperity-God gave me brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage-God gave me danger to overcome.
I asked for love-God gave me troubled people to help.
I asked for favors-God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted-I received everything I needed!
– T.W.

Prepared by Roger Fulk, from excerpts from the “Baptist Bread” APRIL 19, 2026, devotional by author DR. TOM WALLACE, Evangelist, Murfreesboro, TN. With permission from Tim Green, editor of Baptist Bread.  The Baptist Bread