November 11, 2020
“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
We often take verses from Scripture and try to make them say what it is we want them to say. We come to a point in life where we have a desire we want fulfilled, but we have run out of resources to fulfill that desire. So, we often turn to the Bible to find something in there that seems to promise what it is we already want to happen. Philippians 4:19 is one of those verses. We believe our “needs” will be met, when really those “needs” are our desires that we have formulated through pursuing our own will for our lives. We haven’t involved God in the planning, but we want him to step in for provision. So, let’s take a minute and look at the context in which this verse appears:
“And you Philippians know that in the early days of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone. For even in Thessalonica you sent gifts for my need several times. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the profit that is increasing to your account. But I have received everything in full, and I have an abundance. I am fully supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you provided—a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:15-20
In this passage, Paul is thanking the Philippian church for their faithful support of his missionary journeys, even when no other church joined in. God used the generosity of the Philippians to bless Paul and meet all his needs while he traveled the land to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. They used their resources, not for themselves, but for the mission of sharing the Gospel. Because of this, Paul was confident that God would take care of their needs. When we use what God has given us to carry out his will instead of our own, we can be completely confident that God will continue to provide for all our needs in the process.
Mighty God, forgive us for the times we have tried to bend Your Word to conform to our will. Today we make a commitment to use all You have given us to further Your Kingdom. As we do, Father, we trust that You will supply all our needs and even bless us beyond all we could ask or imagine.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Shane Cannon
