“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 NKJV)
I have two children, and one thing I know is that children need things. If you are a parent, I am sure you are now nodding your head. When my children have a need, they come to me and my wife to fulfill it. As parents, one of our responsibilities is to provide the things they need. In the natural, we provide for the needs of our children through the income we receive, which for most of us comes from our work. We supply the need based on the source. This is the same in how God provides for you. We have a need, and God supplies that need based on his supply, which we access through Jesus Christ. This is the foundation of this promise, but it requires further examination to understand better what it means that God will supply all my needs.
What Does 'My God Shall Supply All My Needs' Mean?
To begin with, it helps to define what a need is. A need is something necessary and essential. For example, you need food and water because you will be malnourished and eventually die without it. That sounds like the definition of necessary and essential. With that definition, we can establish this verse’s foundational theme: God will supply you what is necessary and essential. This promise should comfort you and remind you of what Jesus said in Matthew.
“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” (Matthew 6:31-32)
You can be confident that God will supply what you need. He is aware of your situation and needs and will be faithful to provide for them.
More Context to 'My God Shall Supply All My Needs'
There is another aspect of this promise that I want you to consider. You need to look at this passage in its full context. Before Paul writes these words, he commends the Philippian church for their generosity toward him.
“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need.” (Philippians 4:14-16)
When Paul opens this letter to the Philippian church, he is thankful for their partnership in the gospel. As he is closing the letter, he reiterates it. When Paul first went to Philippi, he preached to some women who had gathered to pray. One woman listening to Paul was a businesswoman named Lydia. She responded to Paul’s message along with her household and began showing hospitality and generosity to Paul from that moment. She partnered with him from the very beginning of his ministry in Philippi.
When you understand that idea of partnership, you see another principle established here. God will care for your needs when you care for God’s work. I want to choose my words carefully because some have abused this principle. They have made erroneous statements, having people believe if you give to this ministry or “sow a seed,” God will return it to you many times over. That should never be the motivation or attitude with which you give.
You don’t give because God is going to give back to you. That’s not a partner. That’s an investor. This appeals more to people’s greed than their generosity. You should give generously, cheerfully, and willingly to support the work of the Lord without the thought of God giving back to you. When you give in this way, God will take care of your needs. This is what Paul desired for the Philippian church.
“Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.” (Philippians 4:17-18)
Paul was not going after their gift because he acknowledged he had more than enough— especially with the last gift received from Epaphroditus. In response to their sacrificial giving, Paul says, “My God shall supply all your needs.” In this context, this verse promises God’s response to your giving. God supplies those who supply his work.
Again, this should not be used to get more money from people, as some unscrupulous people try to do. However, recognize that as you give what you can to support God’s work, you can do it with the full confidence of knowing God will supply what you need.
Is 'My God Shall Supply All My Needs' about Material Prosperity?
Clearly, this verse is not talking about material prosperity. For something to be a need, it must be necessary and essential. In this chapter, Paul does not focus on material blessings. If anything, he refers to contentment in every situation.
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” (Philippians 4:12)
This gives another perspective of God supplying all your needs. Sometimes the supply will be just enough, and sometimes the supply will be more than enough. Regardless of which one it is, we should always have a posture of contentment and thankfulness. We should never complain because we have just enough. We should be thankful that God has supplied. This can only happen when you view God supplying your needs from the right perspective.
If we are not careful, we can look at this verse with a sense of entitlement and miss the grace that is flowing in this verse. God provides because he is your Father. However, we can only become his children because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Remove Christ from the equation, and this no longer works. When you realize that God’s provision is because of Christ and not because of you, you will appreciate how God supplies in your life. Whether that is just enough or more than enough.
A Final Thought
I cannot tell you how God will supply your need, but I know he will. Let this verse be a source of encouragement for you. You can trust God to provide in whatever circumstances you may find yourself. He may not give you everything you want, but he certainly will supply your needs.
Further Reading:
Do We Have to be Poor to Follow Jesus?
50 Top Bible Verses about Money, Finances, and Giving
Does Proverbs Preach a Prosperity Gospel?
3 Dangers of Churches Promising a Blessed Life Over the Gospel
Does the Prosperity Gospel Seek God or Money?
What Does Philippians 4:13 Mean, 'I Can Do All Things through Christ'?
Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Dzmitry Dzemidovich
This article is part of our larger resource library of popular Bible verse phrases and quotes. We want to provide easy to read articles that answer your questions about the meaning, origin, and history of specific verses within Scripture's context. It is our hope that these will help you better understand the meaning and purpose of God's Word in relation to your life today.
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