Monday, April 6, 2009

But My God. . .

Philippians 4:19

The Eternal God is faithful to His Word. And His Word is True. If we cannot believe that, then the remainder of this short study is futile because of our unbelief. Do we doubt? Then doubt is unbelief. ‘Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.’

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” I see a fellowship of faith: Paul is inferring that ‘my God is your God.’ “But I have all, and abound.” My God has and is right now, supplying all my need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus; and I believe and do enter into a covenant with you, that He will of a certainty, supply all your need, and that by Christ Jesus and the offering and sacrifice of Himself; by His resurrection and ascension into heaven; now seated at the right hand of the Father. ‘Believest thou this?’ (It is good that brethren covenant together to believe God!)

We are to be “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” Heb. 12:2. Does it seem strange that God Himself should likewise be ‘looking unto Jesus’; He through whom the riches of glory shall be supplied (full, complete, abounding) from the Father? Do we err in saying that all eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ: the Father the Seraphim, the Cherubim, the angels, and let it be so, every Blood-bought believer?

But my God shall supply all your need if only you will approach Him and ask? Asking is good, but it is not included in this particular verse. Who is it that has ever inquired after God? Who is it that has approached God before and until God first approached him? “There is none righteous, no, not one. . .there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” Romans 3:11b,12. What! Shall the Righteous indeed seek the unrighteous? And what shall He invest in such rebellious and unprofitable sinners? Great kings go on a quest for greater riches: to conquer the enemy and take the spoils of battle. Shall God seek to take unto Himself that which is already His?

What shall the Conqueror do with the captives? Shall he kill them? Shall he cast them into the dungeons? No? He has conquered and captured that He might give them life; that He might set them free! How can these things be? Where is understanding?

“For when we were yet without strength. . .God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Rom. 5:6a,8.

But my God may; it is a distinct possibility, though questionable: He could supply your need. . .is this not what a faithless generation says? If we can’t mean what we say, then let us be honest and say what we mean!

But my God shall supply your need - all of it - according to your need? He shall look at your need and determine the supply needed according to your need? My dear friend, God does not supply our need according to our need: it is according to His riches in glory.

But my God shall supply. . .a percentage; a portion of your need? And how does God measure our need; and what is the means of measure? Is it according to a spoonful? A cup? A gallon? Perhaps by the pound; or by the peck or bushel? No! ‘His coffers are full; He has riches untold!’

But your God shall supply. . .why will you ask of Him if He is not your God? Would you have Him be Lord of your life? Or would you be Lord and have Him be your servant?

My God shall supply all your need - according to the earthly riches that lay before you? “Lord, draw forth from the abundance of your earthly creation that you may give unto me?”

My God shall supply all your need according to his poverty? Is He poor; an impoverished God? Or is He willing but unable to do that which He promises? Or is He able, but we are not sure that He is willing? If we do not believe the promise then neither do we believe Him who promised.

My God shall supply your need according to His riches in glory? Why then do we concern ourselves with temporal things when the riches of God lie in the Eternal? When will we ever learn, that God would do no less than supply Himself: that the Riches in glory came to earth; gave Himself, His Life; ascended a Mount; hung between heaven and earth in the greatest display of the riches of glory that man or angels shall ever see! But my God shall supply - Himself - our single great need; according to His riches in glory - by Christ Jesus.

He is El Shaddai. He is Supplier and supply; He is Provider and provision; He is Blesser and blessing; He is the Giver, He is the Gift. He is the source of all Love, of all Righteousness, of all Mercy, of all Grace. We are compassed about with His compassion. His hand reaches out to us, His arm draws us near to Himself. To lose ourselves in Him is to find ourselves in His abiding Presence.

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