We can and do work as hard as we can…Yet, it is God Who gives the increase!
The phrase “it is God who gives the increase” comes from the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 3:6-7. It means that while people can plant seeds or do the work, it is ultimately God who causes growth and brings about results. The verse uses the analogy of a farmer planting and watering crops to emphasize that God is the one who makes them grow.
- The context: The Apostle Paul wrote this to the church in Corinth, addressing divisions and pride among believers who were focusing on the human leaders, like himself and Apollos.
- The message: Paul’s point was that the human leaders are simply servants working together, but God is the one with the power to bring life and growth to the work they do.
- The takeaway: The passage encourages faithfulness in one’s role while recognizing that God is the source of all true growth and success, whether spiritual or otherwise.
The statement that “God supplies all of our needs” comes from the biblical passage Philippians 4:19: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his riches of his glory in Christ Jesus”. This verse is understood as a promise that God provides for the spiritual and physical needs of believers, although it emphasizes “needs,” not “wants,” and the provision is often not instant or always in the way one might expect. This provision is also tied to trust in God, generous giving, and being thankful for all good things.
Understanding the promise
- Need versus want: The verse is interpreted as a promise to meet essential needs, not to fulfill every desire or wish.
- Spiritual and physical provision: God’s provision is understood to include both spiritual necessities like strength, peace, and grace, and physical requirements for life.
- Abundant source: The source of this provision is described as “his riches in glory,” which points to an inexhaustible and divine source rather than limited earthly resources.
- Through Christ: The supply is channeled through Jesus Christ, seen as the ultimate gift and the means through which all other things are provided.
How it applies in practice
- Trust and faith: Believers are encouraged to trust God with their needs and not lean on their own understanding, as exemplified by the story of the widow of Zarephath who trusted God with her last bit of flour and oil.
- Generosity and giving: The verse is in the context of the church at Philippi supporting the apostle Paul. It is linked to the principle of generosity, with the idea that those who give can expect their own needs to be met.
- Thankfulness: A spirit of thankfulness is also key, as all good gifts are seen as coming from God.
- Direction of paths: Trusting in God involves acknowledging Him in all your ways, with the assurance that He will direct your paths.
Never thought about this before:
I have always thought that Noah was safe inside the Ark because he built it according to God’s specifications. I thought that perhaps it was the strength of the gopher wood and the soundness of the architecture that ensured that the waters of the flood would not come into the Ark.
But today I encountered a verse that shifted this whole paradigm.
Let’s read what Gen 7:16 says ..” The animals going in were male and female of every living thing as God had commanded Noah..
THEN GOD SHUT HIM IN….
Don’t miss this…. even after Noah had built the Ark, it was God Himself who shut him in, in order to shut out the waters of the flood… In other translations this verse says “The Lord sealed them inside.”
May the Almighty God seal us inside His Ark of protection through this last quarter of 202, and each day after and forever.
It is not the fact that you have locked your house that keeps you safe at night, it is not your good driving skills that keeps you safe on the road, neither it’s your healthy eating habits that keeps you healthy – only God can shut you in and shut out the devil that is seeking to devour you.
Father we pray 🙏 that in this last quarter of the year, as we walk into the streets and as we drive on the roads, God shut us in. Father we pray 🙏 for our children that in the midst of dangers and molesters… You will shut them in, keep out the flood waters of abuse, rape, murder, accidents, diseases and untimely death… God shut us in, shut us in your Ark of protection , into your Ark of compassion!
God is believed to provide for our needs through various means, including the direct provision of spiritual and emotional support like peace, comfort, and grace, and the indirect provision of physical needs through the “hand of man,” wisdom, and direction. This provision is often described as being through His own power, the actions of others, or through the individual’s own life and choices.
Direct provision
- Spiritual and emotional needs: Providing peace, comfort, grace, wisdom, and strength.
- Guidance and direction: Offering a sense of purpose and helping people find the right path.
- Rest and respite: Giving periods of rest and a sense of security.
- Deliverance: Helping people escape temptation or hardship.
Indirect provision
- Through the hand of man: Using other people to help meet needs.
- Through the individual’s own hand: Providing the ability to work and find solutions themselves.
- Through blessings: Showering people with blessings and kindness.
- The gift of Jesus: Providing salvation and redemption.
Key principles of provision
- According to riches: The Bible states God provides “according to his riches in glory” rather than based on a person’s perfect behavior.
- Through the Holy Spirit: Providing spiritual blessings, power, love, and self-discipline.
Philippians 4:19 says, “My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” This statement is a powerful declaration of God’s abundant provision for believers. We may not have everything we want, but God has blessed us with everything we need.
To understand why you can trust that God will meet your needs, you must first recognize the vastness of God’s riches. Scripture consistently affirms that God owns everything. For example, in Psalm 24:1, the psalmist declares, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” (ESV). God’s ownership of everything assures us that He is able to meet our needs.
Another reason to trust that God will meet all our needs is that He said He would. If God said it, then He will do it. Numbers 23:19 says, “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19, ESV). Therefore, we can “be content with what [we] have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).
In Lamentations 3:22–23, Jeremiah declares, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (ESV). God’s steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness guarantee that He will meet all our needs.
God’s provision for His children manifests itself in practical ways. For instance, in Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus explains why we should not worry about things like food and clothes. If God cares for the birds of the air and the lilies in the field, will He not also care for us? Since God cares for these things, we can be confident that He will meet all our needs. So, instead of worrying about the future, we should focus on delighting ourselves in the Lord (Psalm 37:4).
It is important to note that God’s provision is not about excess, greed, or luxury. Rather, it is about necessity and sufficiency. As God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV). God’s grace is sufficient to meet all our needs, but it may not align with our desires and expectations. Instead, His provision will always align with His will and purpose for our lives.
God’s greatest gift of all is His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (ESV). This corresponds to Romans 8:32, which says, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (ESV). If God is gracious enough to give us His Son, the greatest gift of all, will He not also meet all our needs in this life?
The assurance that God will meet all our needs is a promise based on God’s character, His ownership of creation, and His commitment to His children. Regardless of what the future holds, we can trust the One who holds the future in His hands.