By Charles Wages
“But my God shall supply all need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:19)
There is no doubt that God knows everything. This is hard for us to understand when we know so little. We think that God must attend to such large matters that pertain to this vast universe that He couldn’t be too concerned with our everyday needs. The beautiful passage of Scripture in Matthew 6:25-34 shows the Lord’s deep concern and compassion for even the smallest detail of life. He uses as examples, birds, flowers, and even the grass of the field. Three times in these ten verses, He said, “be not anxious” and in another He asks the question, “Why are ye anxious?” Why should we be anxious when He knows our needs?
When we see that God can provide our needs without our help, if He desires, it should make us thankful, trustful, and grateful. Some have shown that the “toil not” and “spin not” of verse 28 could refer to the work of men and women, however, we could see that God can perform in anyone’s life that will trust Him. Also, it must be seen that He knows our needs before they occur and before we know them! God not only knows the future of Israel, the future of the nations, the future of the Body of Christ (the Church), the future of the devil, and the future of the heavens and the earth, He also knows the immediate need of every individual!
In order to let us know just how much He loves us, God sent His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to this earth to live for us, die for us, and ascend to heaven for us. It is wonderful to see that He showed Himself in the most common places—a stable, a wedding feast, the marketplace, the home, and in other places that were of common interest to people. Today, though not here on earth in person, the Lord is with us in our work, our places of business, school, the home, the supermarket, and other places of interest to people. He is with us in Church and Sunday School, but not there only.
Being with us in common places, He ministers to our common needs. He considers the “outward man” and provides clothing for warmth and protection. Everything we wear, including man-made materials, came originally from God’s provision in nature. He knows that the stomach needs food. Think of the vast amount of foodstuff there is in this earth! The problem of hungry people is not in God providing, but in man’s distribution and misuse. Above all, God provides for the “inward man” the spiritual food so necessary. His wonderful Word is sufficient to provide for everything the believer needs!
The Lord Jesus, having been “tempted (tested) in all points like as we are, yet without sin,” can be with us in our common disappointments. Hebrews 2:18 says,
“For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.”
The familiar account in John 21 of Peter and the disciples going fishing provides a remarkable example of the Lord’s interest in everyday affairs. Peter said, “I go a fishing.” The others said, “We also go with thee.” The Bible tells us “that night they caught nothing.” What a common occurrence, but what a common disappointment.
Was the resurrected Christ interested? Definitely and positively. We are told that, “when the morning came, Jesus stood on the shore.” He was interested and He was there. He also understood their common disappointment and satisfied their common need. When they came to land they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Also, He said, “bring of the fish that ye have now caught.” The net was full of 153 great fish and was not broken!
In conclusion, one more thing should be considered. Why does God often provide more than we need? We probably will never know the full answer here on earth, but some things are evident. First of all, it is to show His great love for us. It is an abundant love. God loves us beyond our utmost comprehension. That love cannot be measured. Paul prayed in Ephesians 3:17-19 that all saints may be able “to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.”
Second, God wants us to share what we have with others. Someone has aptly said, “If you want to be good to yourself, try being good to others.” Not only should we have a good disposition to others, but there should be a good distribution to others.
Thirdly, God gives us abundantly to meet the needs of the future. The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us that the needs of the fallen man were taken care of for the morrow as well as his immediate need of medical attention. When Jesus fed the five thousand with the five loaves and two fishes, we are told that “they did eat, and were all filled; and there was taken up of fragments that remained, twelve baskets” (Luke 9:17).
Many today are disappointed when they cannot find salvation, rest, and peace for their troubled souls. Some try to work for their own redemption, some turn to religion and join churches, some turn to worldly pleasure, drugs, including drinking, and some give up completely in total despair, despondency, and disappointment.
Can God meet this need? Definitely and positively. That’s precisely why Christ came to earth, died on the cross, and came forth from the grave. He did all this in order for all humanity to be saved—for you to be saved! “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”
