God’s Promise of Provision

4:19 "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

If this verse isn’t promising material provision for all of the needs of all God’s people, what IS it promising? Obviously it is promising the generous Philippian believers who sent Paul these gifts sufficient material provision to supply all their earthly needs. But how does this apply to us?

What Paul says here in Phil.4:19 is an application of the Biblical principle that is stated by Jesus Himself:

"Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return." (Luke 6:38)

God says that when we give to others, He will see to it that our needs get met. If we concern ourselves with meeting other people’s needs, He will concern Himself with meeting our needs:

"One who is gracious to a poor man lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his good deed." (Prov.19:17)

"He who is generous will be blessed." (Prov.22:9)

Paul is simply applying this principle to the Philippians’ generosity. They have been generous to a needy man (Paul) for the sake of Christ, and therefore because of the promises of God to those who are generous he knows that God will supply all of their needs. (Cf. 2Cor.9:8-11.)

This is the lesson for us, then. We can count on God supplying all our needs when we are generous and devoted to supplying the needs of others. God will treat us according to the way we treat others (Luke 6:38b). If we give, God will outgive us.

Isaiah 58:10-11 "And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail."

Dear Father, I know that You make all grace abound to me, so that I have enough for myself, and an abundance for every good deed. Help me not to just use the abundance for my own luxuries. Forgive me for all things I have bought that I shouldn’t have bought. Forgive me for all my failures to concern myself with the welfare of others. Make me a man who is compassionate and thoughtful and sensitive to others’ needs. And help me be always ready to let go of my worldly goods and use them to love in the name of Christ.