Philippians 4: 17, 19
Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Paul wasn't wanting only to have his own needs met, but that those who provided for him would be blessed. "Help me want the Giver more than the giving" (song: "More Than Anything," by Natalie Grant).
Then those who have been generous with their material goods will be blessed abundantly by God, according to His riches in glory. God is not stingy, He is very generous. He is the Source of riches beyond compare.
He is the Source of everything that exists, and He is extremely generous with everything He put into this Earth for our use and prosperity. To access this abundance, we only need to follow His ways, according to His purposes for each of us.
God wants us to prosper, but we don't because we violate His Love He has given us, rejecting it and Him, and do things our own way. Then we deny ourselves and others the good things He put here for us to enjoy by closing off the ways to access them. Governments do this, also businesses and individuals let greed overtake their attitudes. They believe the enemy who tells them that to have something it must be taken from someone else.
But wealth grows, just as trees grow, crops grow, and children grow. God has designed this environment for our sustenance and benefit; and just as the number of people grows, the capacity to grow what we all need is inherently in the soil and oceans and mountains and streams and our imaginations.
Whatever you need more of, give it away. God's ways are not our ways. When we hoard, we lose what we have, but when we're generous like God is, then He will multiply what we have to not only meet our needs but have more than we need to share with others. The more generous we are, the more we will receive. It's an upward spiral.
Most of us just don't trust God enough to try Him on this (Malachi 3:10).
I know I have given away some time when I was "running late," and ended up at my destination on time or even early. Now I try never to hurry, but consider that I will get there in God's time.
But Paul's talking about money here. Do I trust God enough to give away money for His work even if I think I won't have enough left? Do I tithe off of my top, or wait to see if I'll "have enough"?
If I wait, I won't have enough. My tithe must come off the top, to receive God's blessing to multiply the 90% to cover more than the 100% covered before. I don't know how He does it, but He stretches what I've tithed on. I have never gone hungry, or lacked a roof over my head or a place to sleep.
So Paul wanted those in the church at Philippi to benefit by sacrificially giving. Because He knew how generous God is.
O my Father, You are God. You are God Almighty. You are our Source for all wealth, health, and well-being. You have given us to one another so that we can love one another as You have loved us. When we care enough to notice what their needs are, and take of what You have given us to help them, then the World will know a little of Your character.
Father, I want others to get to know You, to get acquainted with how wonderful You are, and how You love us all. Help me, Father, to live out Your character in all my relationships with my family and friends and neighbors and clients and readers. And even the strangers I meet while I'm out.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
