Read Message

bigmike

Why You Can Count on God
My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
Question. Can you really trust God for what you need? Perhaps the question should be prefaced by asking, “Well, when you were a kid, could you really trust your dad for what you needed?” And if so, why? Most of you could say, “Well, we were related. He loved me, and therefore, provided for me.” The same line of logic really applies to your being able to trust God for your needs, ones which your earthly father could never meet. How so? In one word, it is relationships.
God doesn’t answer prayer for you because He likes your style, or even thinks you’re pretty good—better than most and not nearly as bad as many. He answers prayer because He is your Father when you have been born again, adopted into the family of God.
When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he gave them a great promise. He was so bold as to say, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Were the Philippians impressed? You bet, in a big way. Philippi, located in Northern Greece, had been famous for its gold deposits which had driven the economy, but then the vein of gold ran out, and the wealth slowly dissipated.
The folks who lived there had depended on the gold. Paul was saying, “Hey, now, you can depend on your God.”
The question, of course, that confronts us is this: Can you still depend on God in a world of technology.com and computers and e-mail, miracle drugs, and sophistication? Or was that just a promise given to a group of people in the first century?
The fact that God takes care of His own is a theme you will find throughout the pages of the entire Bible. The principle is just as valid in the twenty-first century as in the first.
In one of his books, that great but practical scholar A. W. Tozer pointed out that when God divided up the land, giving the twelve tribes the Promised Land, there was no land set aside for the tribe of Levi. Now, the Levites were the ones who were charged with the care of the tabernacle, those who made the daily sacrifices, and represented the people at the altar. No portion for them? No. But God said, “I will be your portion,” thereby making their resources greater than kings, rajahs, and the wealthiest men and women in the world. Think of it. If you are God’s child, the one who controls the wealth of the mines, the diamonds of the deep, the riches of banking and industry, and the cattle on a thousand hills: He has given you a promise. He will supply your needs according to His riches in heaven.
Now, Jesus seconded that promise when He said that if you seek Him and His righteousness and make Him first in your life, that “all [of] these … things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
A closing thought—something to think about. God didn’t give you a signed blank check, promising to give you anything you asked or wanted. No, He promised to provide for your needs, something quite often different from our wants. But when you have needs—whether they be physical, emotional, or financial, and they are valid—you can pray, “Lord, it’s me, I’m Your child, and You gave me a great promise in Your Word. Now, Lord, I’m trusting You to provide for me, and I’ll thank You in advance. Here’s a great opportunity for You to show me how strong You really are!”
Friend, then relax. God’s timing is so much different from ours, but of this you can be certain: God is seldom early, but He is never late. The bottom line is that God is exactly on time.
Thank God for His promises that are just as valid today, as in the first century.
Resource reading: Proverbs 3:5-6

Date: