Needing Need

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

Contextually, the meaning of Paul's statement is that God shall supply for all our needs. This is the proper and doctrinally correct understanding of his statement.

I always find it intriguing, however, that a cursory reading of Philippians 4:19 seems to indicate that God's supply is need itself. Again, this was not the Apostle or the Holy Spirit's intention, but the truth of the matter (confirmed by many other Scriptures) is that in our present existence, we actually need need. Without necessity in its countless forms experienced during our earthly lives, we would never begin to look outside ourselves for our Lord's supply.

Believers often pray for God's supply to a particular need, but the need remains and God seems not to have answered. This very well may indicate that our need is the need itself. Paul prayed thrice for his thorn to be removed, but the Lord revealed to him that a thornless life would lead to pride and the inability to minister by the power of Christ (II Corinthians 12:7-9). Doubtless the same is true in our lives, and as we trust God to supply for our needs, He may well do so by orchestrating challenging conditions and circumstances that keep us in a place of humility, dependence, and trust. Yes, His supply for our needs may sometimes be need itself.

"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

(Philippians 4:12)