Providence
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 NLT
Let’s be honest. Isn’t one of our greatest fears about giving to God’s work that if we give generously, we won’t have enough money left over to meet our own needs? Paul confronted this fear when he told the Philippians, “You have given generously to God, and God will give generously to you. My God shall supply all your needs.” Notice Paul didn’t say that God would fill all their greeds, but He would supply all their needs.
Notice how God supplies our needs. When we are faithful to give to Him, He will give to us “according to His riches in glory” (v. 19). Paul didn’t say God gives to us out of His riches; He gives to us according to His riches. That’s a big difference. Think of the mall bell ringer during the holidays collecting money in red kettles. Imagine a wealthy socialite walks by and drops in a check for one hundred thousand dollars. Can you imagine the expression on the volunteer’s face when she pulls out that check? But as large as that gift is, the socialite has a big pile of money left. In that case, the socialite gave out of his riches. Now, if instead the socialite had written a check for two billion dollars and placed it in that kettle, that would’ve been a gift according to her riches. When God chooses to supply your needs, He doesn’t just give a piddling amount and keep most of it for Himself. Instead, God blesses you proportionate to His riches in glory.
As said written in Philippians, “Just as God has been faithful to take care of my needs in whatever situation I’m in, you can depend on Him to be faithful to take care of your needs in whatever circumstances you face. And that’s how we can be content. Together, we trust in God’s providence.” Providence is God’s ability to see beforehand what happens to us. Nothing happens to you that takes God by surprise. God is in complete control of His whole creation, which means He is in control of your life and my life. Scripture says, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). We will never learn contentment until we trust in God’s sovereignty.
We will never be satisfied in life until we believe that every situation in life is part of the perfect plan of our loving God. The secret to living in spite of your circumstances is finding joy in every situation by choosing to trust God’s providence and purpose for your life.