The following is reprinted with permission of The
Timely Messenger
The Saviour Supplies
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.”