Does God Really Supply Every Need?
Considering the outrageous promise of Philippians 4:19
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 4:19
The context of this verse is an extended “thank you” from the Apostle Paul to the Philippians for their generous gifts sent him through Epaphroditus (4:10-18). Now in verse nineteen Paul moves from gratitude for what he’s received to what God promises to do for the Philippians (and every Christian). Paul uses the opportunity of thanksgiving for a gift received to point the Philippians to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, material and spiritual. Paul rejoices in a “lofty climax” that serves as a banner over everything he has written to this point.
Some may wonder if Paul is getting a little carried away. After all, he uses the word ‘every’ in this text. To make this verse less audacious some may try to chalk it up to hyperbole. But this is not hyperbolic language like we read from Paul elsewhere (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Still trying to tame this verse some Christians may wonder if our translation is right—is ‘every’ really the right English word to translate the Greek word πᾶσαν? Yep. In one last attempt to soften this verse—that is, make it more reasonable—we may be tempted to qualify the ‘every’ as every spiritual need. But that won’t do as Paul does not limit the ‘every’ in this text. He has in mind every spiritual as well as physical need. The phrase “every need of yours” is to be understood comprehensively.
We’re left to wonder at the magnitude of this promise. Indeed, God will supply every need of ours.
At this point an objection may rise up in someone’s heart that says something like, “But I don’t feel supplied for, Paul. How can you say this? We know from experience that this simply can’t be true given how many unfulfilled needs I have!”
A good pastor will hear this and understand how the objection is, in one sense, not irrational. There are countless times in our life this side of heaven when we don’t feel as if all our needs are being supplied. So how can we help our churches feel the truth of Paul’s words in Philippians 4:19? There are at least two responses needed to address the objection above:
We may not feel supplied for because we’ve confused ‘wants’ and ‘needs’.
When I was in high school Michael Stipe and R.E.M taught me a most valuable lesson. I learned it from their 1987 album Document and the Finest Worksong. Consider these lyrics:
Take your instinct by the reins, you’re better best to rearrange. What we want and what we need has been confused, been confused.
No less in our day are wants and needs confused. Sometimes we don’t feel like our needs are being met by God because it’s really a ‘want’ masquerading as a ‘need’. And God does not promise to meet all our ‘wants’ (cf., Hebrews 4:16).
The Bible is clear that there is a future dimension to God’s provision.
This is where the doctrine of the “already” and “not yet” of God’s kingdom is so pastorally helpful to our people. Take, for example, a future promise like Philippians 3:20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” That God “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” reminds us that God’s provision for many of our present physical needs is coming. That is, many of our physical needs will not be met until that day when we have glorified bodies in the likeness of our Lord’s. It is immensely practical to know that there is an eternal weight of glory yet to be revealed. This truth helps us persevere in the present as we wait on God to “supply our every need” sometimes in the future.
Philippians 4:19 is an outrageous promise. Rather than try to soften or lessen it; tame or domesticate it, let us help our people marvel at the generosity of our God as he supplies all our needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Sound doctrine. Thank you.