My God shall supply all your needs
(This article is taken from a message on Philippians 4:19 delivered by Geoff Thomas at the 2003 Grace Baptist Assembly.)
Paul is thanking the Philippians for their gift to him. It was not the first time they had conveyed their love in such a practical way to him, and he is very grateful. But would such sacrificial giving bring them into debt? He assures them that this will never happen. They can rely on him to meet their needs.
1. God himself will supply
This God, who is the supreme creator of Genesis 1, the God who has no limitations, no restrictions, unbounded in every way, will supply. ‘He is my God,’ says Paul: he doesn't mean that God was his exclusive possession, but that he had become his personal God. What is involved in this relationship?
He is the God who is committed to the Christian He says in his great covenant promise in Genesis, ‘I will be God for you. I will be your God.’ There is a dedication on God's part to his church. He gives himself to every single member of his own family: ‘I will be your caring, providing Father.’
Paul has that great phrase about the Son of God: who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). It is so personal and passionate a relationship. Here is no detached, non-involved benevolence. Here is a God who is in love with us.
My daughter teaches four-year-old children in a school in Wiltshire. Recently one of the girls in her class said to her, ‘Mrs Alsop, I said something very nice to my father last night.’ ‘Oh? what did you say?’ asked Catrin. ‘I said, "I love you more than life itself."’ ‘Where did you hear that?’ asked Catrin. ‘On TV,’ said the little girl. ‘What sort of TV are you watching?!’ asked my daughter, a little concerned. ‘Robin Hood says it to Maid Marion,’ said the little one so artlessly. That is the language of much contemporary infatuation, but in truth they are the words of the Lord Jesus to all whom he died to save: ‘I love you more than my own life, even more than the sufferings of Golgotha.’
He is the God who is tested and proved by the Christian He is the God of my experience, whom I have tried and not found wanting. David, before the test of Goliath's menace, could say that the Lord had delivered him from the mouth of the lion and the paw of the bear, and he would continue to be with him now as he faced the giant. This is the God, whom we have frequently put to the test in the exigencies of our own humdrum lives. We cried and the Lord answered. From fearful pits he has delivered us; from miry clay he has rescued us; in the valley of the shadow we were not alone; he was there with his rod and his staff to comfort us. He is a proven God.
2. All your needs
It is frequently pointed out that it is our needs that he will supply, and not all we desire. Paul is not referring to optional extras, but to essential requirements. He is talking about what we need to hallow his name, to do his good and perfect will, to love our enemies, be conformed to the image of his Son, persevere to the end. Many desires shall fail, many hopes will be dashed, sometimes our worst fears will be realised or even surpassed, but we will lack no good thing.
Often our needs are not material, but rather, ‘Lord, hold me! Keep my heart from breaking. Keep my mind from going under.’ The Lord promises that at such moments there is grace to help - no matter how tremendous the pressures may be.
Gracia and Martin Burnham were the two American missionaries who were captured by the Abu Sayyaf terrorist group in the Philippines in May 2001. In the attempt to rescue them, Martin was shot dead. His wife was also shot, but she recovered and she has written a book called ‘In the Presence of My Enemies’ about the year she spent living in the jungles of Palawan with the terrorists. She prays every day with her three children for the leading terrorist Umbran, who is now in prison in Manila. She says, ‘Our kids are doing good, and they're not bitter towards God. They don't try to second guess what happened. They just go on.’ God is supplying her needs, but what a hideous year, with much weeping, and many questions, and a frequent sense of abject weakness!
3. According to his glorious riches
Paul goes on to say that he will meet our needs according to his glorious riches. Not merely from his wealth, but on a scale worthy of his wealth. If a millionaire put a mere ten pounds in the collection box it would be out of his riches, but it wouldn't be according to his riches. But our Lord's supply is endless. He will supply your need in a glorious manner, in a manner commensurate with the character of the gracious King of love.
It is in Christ Jesus. The supply all comes to us because of the Lord Jesus. The God who sent his only begotten, his well-beloved Son to the cruel cross on Calvary for us, is not going to forsake us in lesser matters like food and bricks and mortar and other temporal matters.
Also, he will meet us in our needs as Christ deserves. Our life and his life are one. Can you imagine God being mean-spirited and reluctant to bless his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased? So we can expect such a prodigality of love from God.
‘There is no doubt about this, it is not contingent, it is not uncertain, it does not say, "perhaps", "maybe". No! "My God will!" Now Paul does not say that he knows how exactly God is going to do it, and we do not know either. . . Sometimes he takes away in order to give. We have all had an experience of that in one small way or another. He seems to empty before he fills, but he does it, and he will do it. It is certain. It is absolute’ (D Martyn Lloyd-Jones, ‘The Life of Peace – Studies in Philippians 3&4’, p238).
Let us all, with all our different needs, renew our faith in the unlimited resources of God.