There are many good verses in the Bible that we often get wrong. Philippians 4:19 is one of them. It is a favorite one to memorize and pull out when we are having a financial crisis in our life. Just remember that “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches” and feel confident that God will meet all of your material needs in life and the bills will somehow get paid. But what about the times when they don’t? Do all believers across the world share this same experience? What about believers in foreign countries who do not have clean water to drink, regular meals to eat, or the other basic necessities of life? If you are an American who makes at least $37,500 annually in your household, did you know that you are richer than 96% of the rest of the world’s households? I offer these questions to encourage you to re-examine what you thought you knew about this verse (and others) which express how God takes care of our needs.

As with understanding every Bible verse, context is king. In the case of Philippians 4:19, Paul had just expressed his thanks to the church at Philippi for the several gifts that they had sent to meet his needs. He knew that they had given sacrificially (meaning that there was likely a deficit in their church budget because of their gifts to Paul). The fact that they had gone into the “red” to help Paul had to be a concern for them and Paul seems aware of that fact. Therefore, it is clear from this context that Paul was not making a blanket statement about God’s supply of general needs that they had as individuals or even as a church. He was saying that God would repay them for their generosity.

That’s not to say that God doesn’t supply our material needs. However, it does tell us that our material needs should be the least of our concerns. Jesus’ teaching in Luke 12 is probably the clearest example of this. In verse 22, Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” He goes on to tell his disciples that the material needs of the ravens and the lilies are being met by God. He tells them that just as man can’t “add to his stature one cubit” (v. 25), neither can we control our situation by worrying about it. That’s not to say that Jesus is saying to throw the budget out the window, throw caution to the wind and run up your credit cards. Instead, he says “all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things” (v.30).

It is easy for us to find ourselves more focused on chasing the material things we need and getting our eyes off the Lord. Here are a few reminders from these verses which summarize how the Bible wants us to respond to these times when we are worried about our needs.

1. Be generous – just like the Philippians who gave to Paul sacrificially (and at their own detriment), we need to believe that we can’t outgive God. He will repay us for being faithful givers to His work.


2. Build God’s kingdom before your own – Remember Luke 12:31 – “seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God wants our focus and our trust to be in Him alone


3. Don’t Worry – God’s mercies are new every morning. His grace is sufficient. Sometimes he may not meet your material needs in the way you are hoping. Sometimes you will go through a time of not having enough because that is the path God has chosen for you. However, when you have your confidence fully in Him you will find that God will always be there for you through the crisis and will never let you down. He is always faithful!

The truth is that we are living in a world where the economy is against us. It could be a temporary blip or it could be a “new normal”. Prices have gone up in all areas while wages have failed to keep up with them. However, no matter what happens in the economy, remember that God is always good. He cares for you. He knows your needs. He will take care of you and you can take that to the bank!