Will God REALLY Supply All of Your Needs?

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:19

What is your initial response to this verse? That God will make sure that you always have lots of food to eat? That you will never be without a job? That you will be able to retire in style?

Me too. But we both know this isn’t what the promise means. God WILL supply every single need we will ever have. He has promised. Just remember two things: 1) God differentiates between wants and needs and 2) God knows our needs better than we do.  Mat 6:8 “… your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

“OK, Joe”, you sigh, “I knew there was a catch. This is like my Mom making me eat my broccoli because ‘it is good for me’”.

Thanks for the illustration. You are exactly right. Because your heavenly father loves you infinitely more than your earthly parents, he will not hold back a single good thing from you.  Now. Stop and think a minute.

What do you think God thinks you need?

• A new smart phone?

• Unlimited wealth?

• A new car?

• A huge pay raise?

Maybe…maybe not.

It may help us keep things in perspective if we realize that the man who wrote these words did so while in prison. One may assume that “release from prison” is something our author would need.  Not so. He writes,

“Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. “
Philippians 4:11-13

So let’s ask again: What do you think God thinks you need?

Could it be …

• Contentment?

• Peace?

• Integrity?

• Character?

• Love for others?

• Love for God?

Hmmm.

Just in case you are still equating God’s definition of your needs with your mom making you eat your broccoli, maybe we left one need off the list: growing up.

So back to our title question: Will God REALLY supply all of your needs?

Certainly!  Just be careful what you ask for.

Readers: Does this post help you better distinguish between “needs” and “wants”?  How?   In what ways has God supplied your needs?