Supply!

Supply!

Philippians 4:19 AMPC

[19] And my God will liberally supply (fill to the full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

In laying the foundation for the verse above, you consider the words of Paul in the earlier verses. Think of it this way: here was a man who used to persecute the church; now he claims to be a Christian and is on a missions assignment. He needs resources and help on this journey, and it is very important to note that Paul clearly mentioned this church as the only one that shared with him in the matter of giving and receiving, as soon as they came to the knowledge of Christ. And it was not a flash-in-the-pan kind of thing, where they did it once for the public acknowledgment, but because they had come to understand the power of giving. They did it again and again, and even when Paul went to a different town in Thessalonica, they kept sending aid to him there. You need an understanding of the foundation and principle of giving, if you act the way the church in Philippi acted, and want the kind of blessing that Paul pronounced in the verse above. 

First, I need to understand who it is that owns all I have and hold in the first place. Being asked to be a part of what God is doing around the world is a privilege. God once made it clear that He could raise stones to praise Him, so He can never lack resources to do whatever He needs to get done. However, He has given us the grace to be a part of what He wants to get done, and what better way is there to prove submission to Christ than to lay all I am and have at His feet? When I get this, I know God can ask me for anything at anytime, and I will not hesitate to give it up. Secondly, the law of economics follows a demand and supply law. Supply is usually tied to demand; one of these rules is that the higher the demand, supply would need to work hard to catch up. We have a God who is in charge of the supply chain, and you can be sure that He knows how to allocate resources to meet the demand that lines up with His will. Can you say, with confidence, that your current pursuit and priority will guarantee God's supply? 

The church in Philippi understood what was high on God's agenda at the time, and they acted according to that understanding. It is not a wonder that Paul prayed the prayer in the verse above. He knew this God of supply on a personal level, because he had also learnt the secret of being content in any and every situation, as long as He had this God of supply on his side. Paul took from his private and personal knowledge of God, and asked God to supply all the needs of this church that had stood by him on his journeys. Before I claim the same prayer of supply, can I say, of a truth, that I have laid all I have at the feet of the Lord who makes a demand of all I am and have? Until I lay all on the altar, it will be very difficult to take hold of that which God wants to give me. Until my hand is empty and able to receive, there is no room for God to put anything in my hand. When I let go, God takes over, and He owes no man. If I give all, I get His all. If I have Him, I lack nothing. The decision is mine to make. God's time of favour is here.