Give, and Trust God to Supply

Give as much as the Father leads

And he will surely supply your needs.

His riches in Jesus are boundless, indeed.

Let us from our worries and cares be freed.

“…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.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:18b-19

            My mother tells a story that illustrates these verses well. My parents listened to a missionary speak at their church. Daddy told Mother he believed the Lord would have him give the entire paycheck he had just cashed to further this missionary’s work. She asked him how God was going to feed the children but encouraged him to follow the Spirit’s leading. So Daddy put the money in the offering plate.

            On the way home, they decided to drop in on my dad’s parents. Grandma and Grandpa had just had a side of beef delivered, and shared generously with our family. They also had fresh vegetables from their garden packed up and ready to give us in order to make room for the beef in their freezer. God provided more food that week than Daddy’s paycheck would have bought us.

            When I was teaching at a Christian school, making far less than my public school counterparts, God supplied all my needs. There was a student whose grandmother had lost a lot of weight. By the time I finished trying on her old clothes, the back seat of my Plymouth Horizon was filled from floorboard to ceiling. I wore those free clothes for years. There was the time I sorely needed to spend some deep time alone with the Lord, and the singles’ minister told me someone had anonymously paid my way to a singles’ retreat on which we spent four hours of silence and solitude to focus on God. These are just two examples among many of God providing for my needs.

            The truth about giving to the Lord’s work is that the reward is not always monetary. It may be that specific needs are met in unusual ways. I struggled financially for years, but I never went hungry, never lacked clothing, and never failed to pay my rent. God has always supplied my needs and blessed me in other less tangible but very real ways. He gave me children in my fortieth year, the long-awaited desire of my heart. He has given me the satisfaction of having former students return to thank me. He continues to give me wonderful Christian friends. He gives me assurance of his presence at all times. He always gives me more than I can ever give, because all I have ultimately comes from God’s hand. I’ve often heard, “You can’t out give God,” and I know that statement is true.

            Father, help me to give faithfully of my life as well as my money. Thank you for providing for my every need and allowing me the joy of providing for others. Help me to be attuned to your will as I plan my budget, not only of my financial resources but of my time and talents. Help me to constantly remember that all I call “mine” is actually yours, and I am your steward.