The apostle Paul wrote, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). This passage has become a catch phrase for many. It catches their attention and they latch on to the promise but often do not catch the full meaning.
We tend to catch the part about God meeting all our needs without latching on to the fact that the conjunction "and" precedes the promise. So often the premise connected to the promise is simply overlooked. We catch hold of the part where God meets his children's needs but miss the part where they had been supplying Paul in his mission.
Paul was acknowledging how much they had helped him and was assuring them that God would not forget their generosity and in turn would ensure they were fully supplied as well. His words are reminiscent of the promise Jesus made, "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward" (Mk 9:41).
The point being is that God wants us to be generous because he is generous and as we live out this life of generosity, he will supply all our needs so that we do not suffer loss from sharing with others. When the Spirit places a need upon our heart, we can respond generously to,that need knowing that God will not fail to, in turn, meet our needs.
God does care and he will provide but he does not want us to just be on the receiving end as that would diminish us and rob us of the grace of meeting the needs of others, missing the truth that "it is more blessed to give than receive" (Acts 20:35).
One additional point is that God is not teaching us to give so that we can receive, rather that what we receive from him is provided so that we may give. Remember, the real blessing is not in the getting but in the getting. Jus' Say'n.
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