10122018 God Supplies

Dear Missionary Lady,

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

This assurance was particularly given to people who were sacrificially giving of themselves and their resources in order to meet the needs of others, which is pretty much the definition of a missionary. Throughout Scripture, God has demonstrated His intent and ability to supply for His children. That doesn't always look like what we expect, but it is always enough.

As a single person who was used to living simply and who lived rent-free on the mission compound, I was able to get by with a fairly low support level. Generally speaking, I lived carefully but wasn't consumed with financial concerns. There was one month though …

Because of the way my support came in, I alternated between a high month and a low month. If I remember correctly, I was coming off a low month, so was looking forward to payday being a little more than normal. I always had the opportunity to call the mission board and find out immediately what my deposit would be for a particular month. I usually didn't bother, but this time I did. The information stunned me. Instead of my expected high month, my income was even less than the month before.

I knew immediately that things would be tight. Because of church ministries I helped with (and just getting to church, for that matter), I needed to keep my car supplied with gas. And that was just about how much money I had available. I went through my cupboards and inventoried my food - right down to cups of flour and number of eggs. I made out a menu for the month that utilized every bit of food I had available. When the month ended, I had no money, enough food for one meal (due to eating with friends one day), and a few gas fumes still in my car.

Did God let me down? Of course not. If anything, He showed me His ability to take care of me even when it seemed especially difficult. He assured me that even when things were tough, He was still there for me. There actually was a bit of excitement and specialness in seeing God take care of me in a situation when my stunned silence had prompted the mission board personnel to ask if I needed a loan to get through the month.

Personal experience can be powerful, as we see the practical reality of what God can do, but personal experience is not the most powerful reassurance. It merely confirms what God says in His Word, and the Bible is the best source of encouragement and assurance. In addition to promises like the one above, the Bible repeatedly reveals God's care for His children. When I think of financial or physical need in the Bible, my thoughts go to Elijah.

God provided for Elijah, who lived a fairly nomadic life, for the duration of a three-year drought. Even as he lived in isolation by a stream with no grocery stores nearby, ravens brought him food and the stream provided water. He even got deliveries twice a day. When the stream dried up, God sent Elijah to a poor widow woman who was down to her last meal herself. Yet one meal at a time, God supplied until the time of famine had passed. Later Elijah fled to the desert, where he had no resources whatsoever; he was too depressed to eat and too exhausted to fix food even if he had cared enough to eat. God sent an angel who not only prepared the food, but prodded Elijah to eat it, and then repeated the process until Elijah had the strength he needed. God made that food strengthen Elijah for forty days, far beyond any reasonable expectation. God took care of Elijah through extraordinary means and even through some very ordinary ones. He fed Elijah during times of faith and victory and during times of doubt and defeat. God faithfully took care of Elijah even when men would have said it was impossible.

God owns all the resources. "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 50:10-12). The answers may not always look exactly like we expect, but God is always able to meet our needs. At times we may need to adjust our expectations or re-evaluate our expenses, but God can give wisdom for those decisions, while supplying all that we really need.

What you do today matters for eternity, and God will make sure you have all the necessary resources to do what He wants you to do. Human resources are limited, but God's are abundant. When things get tight (or remain that way month after month), trust God to take care of you. He has an excellent track record, and He can take care of you even when no one else knows. He can open His storehouses and supply for you. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).

Love in Christ,

Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com