FAQ ID # 6674 - If God promises his children to supply all their "needs" why are there true believers that do not have food, water, shelter? I am not talking about "wants" rather basic "needs". Does God promise to supply the believers "needs" and if he does not then what does that mean?

FAQ ID # 6674

God's promise of supply
Last Update : 2009/01/07
Rating : Not Rated

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Question / Issue

If God promises his children to supply all their "needs" why are there true believers that do not have food, water, shelter? I am not talking about "wants" rather basic "needs". Does God promise to supply the believers "needs" and if he does not then what does that mean?

Answer / Solution

The passage where this statement comes from is Phil 4:19 -
"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus".
The context of the Apostle Paul's statement is that the Philippians had sent a gift for his needs and he was expressing what a blessing this was to him and how pleasing it was to the Lord, who would also "supply all their needs". So it is correct to apply this statement to our needs as you have noted, and in most cases, this is what we experience. So what about those who do not receive basic necessities?

Well, we have to balance this statement of God's plan and His faithfulness with other passages, such as 1 Peter 1:6-7 which says, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." So if we take the one passage as a promise, we also have to accept the passages that say hardship and persecution may be the believer's experience.

And regarding what we consider necessary, there are two interesting passages:

Deut 8:3 - "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD."

Luke 12:22-23 And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."

So here again we see that God's plan, although entirely faithful toward us, might even so include suffering or lack of necessities. Sometimes we cannot know the reasons for this beyond living in a fallen world, and sometimes these needs create a responsibility on the rest of us beyond simply praying for God to meet the need.

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