BS96: Our needs vs God’s riches: Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
So often we try to figure out how God’s going to do something.. How he will provide something or step into a situation. We try to figure it out according to our own view on the circumstances and on the resources we can see around us. We can think that circumstances are hopeless if we don’t look at the bigger picture.
The truth is that God has unlimited resources and unending riches, and can meet all our needs in every circumstance. What he chooses to provide is not based on our limited view, but on the amazing unending resources that we have in Jesus!
He doesn’t provide for us based on our hourly rate or on the energy we have or the people we know, he provides for us based on what HE has (and incase you are in any doubt, this is everything1 !!). God is Lord over all the earth2 , all of earth’s and heaven’s riches were created by him and are for him to do with what He wills3 . Sometimes we forget this! Everything we own is God’s, everything owned even by people who don’t know God is still God’s! And he can give and take away according to his will.
If we have a loving father who has all things, can we not trust him to provide for all our needs? Because he’s a loving father he might not give us everything we want, he doesn’t want us to be spoilt children (!) But he will give us everything we need. Bear in mind that we may have slightly different ideas of our "needs" than God does, as we often might think we need something when really we just want it! 
Do you have a need which you just can’t see in your mind, how God meet it? You don’t see where the finances, the support, the people, the energy, the perserverence, the dicipline or the time will come from? That’s good news! It’ll give you an opportunity to trust in God for your need, and to see how he provides for his children when they trust in him!
Ask him to provide for you according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus!!
Perhaps you currently don’t have any pressing needs? Perhaps you have plenty both spiritually and financially? Ask God to show you what/who he would like you to give to (time, money, care, support..) so that you can be his hands on the earth and help during another person’s time of need. Remember everything he’s given to you belongs to Him anyway!
1) The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; Pslam 24:1
2) My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth . Psalm 121:2
3) For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him . Colossians 1:16
Tags: Needs, Philippians, Trust in God
August 19th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
This is interesting as I just listened to a preach by Andy Stanley about what we are called to do with our riches. I would put myself in the category of not having any pressing needs as I have a very blessed life and God has given me what I need and has blessed me with more. But what should we do with the more? Should we save it for a rainy day like the rich man in Luke 12:13? according to Jesus no. We have this view that when God blesses us with extra it is for us when in fact it is for us to give to others.
The best explanation I have heard is to give first to God, then save and use the rest to live on. I feel challenged at the moment to work out what I need to live on and use the rest more wisely (i.e. no more DVDs that I don’t watch or books I never read) but to save some and use the rest for the glory of God. I also feel like I need to look at all the things I already have and work out how I can best leverage them for God (this could mean giving things away or maybe using them for a better purpose than gathering dust in my garage/loft). When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount he clearly says we should store up riches in heaven and not on earth (Matthew 6:19). Am I being a good steward of things here on earth? I think I could do better as I am storing up too many things for myself. A Spirit-led rethink is needed I think!
August 19th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
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