God's Promises...series... Philippians 4:19

God's Promises

by John Bradshaw

"And my God shall supply all your need

 according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

In a certain sense, God puts His reputation on the line in Scripture. He frequently makes promises that are emphatic in nature and broad in scope. But sometimes these promises call for careful consideration on the part of the one who reads them. The Bible says in Philippians 4:19, "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say God will provide "some" of your needs" or "most" of your needs. It says God will provide all your needs. That has to include food, money, companionship, direction and peace of mind, to name but a few of our basic needs. So we can therefore trust that God will do what He say He will do. The God who opened up the Red Sea and fed His people with manna in the wilderness knows your needs and can provide them in abundance.

But also notice what this verse does not say. It says God will supply all our needs, not necessarily our wants. It is easy sometimes to get the two confused. You might thing you need an extra few thousand dollars to buy that "certain thing," whereas God might know you don't actually need it at all. You might be certain you need a spouse, when God knows that perhaps- for reasons you might not discern- you need no such thing right now. This suggest to us that His promise calls for trust on our part- trust that God will do what He says, and trust that He knows what we really need and what we really don't. As you trust God to do only the right things in your life, you can be certain that God will provide your needs. He has promised!