"my God shall supply all my need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:1 (KJV) and Philippians 4:19 (KJV) Paraphrased
God tells us there is an abundance of supply for our every need, by Christ Jesus. In a comparable way as electricity supplies our homes with the power to meet all our household needs, so does Christ Jesus supply us with the Power to meet all our needs. The wire is the way to get the power into our homes, while Christ Jesus is the way to get God’s Power into us.
Once we have electricity in our homes, we must first apply this power to enjoy the benefits of it. We do this by using the appliances and light switches in our home. We just a flick a switch and allow electricity to supply all our household needs. We also do something similar with God’s Power in us. We live by complete and total faith in God, allowing Him to supply all our need through Christ Jesus!
While on Earth, Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to pray and have absolute faith in our Heavenly Father. When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane the night he was arrested, He prayed three times for the Father to take this cup from Him, referring to His upcoming Crucifixion. Yet He finished each prayer with…
“And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. ”
Matthew 26:39 (KJV)
Showing complete and total faith in His Father's Will, whatever the outcome may be!
Once Jesus was through praying for the third time; His Father sent an angel into the garden to comfort Him. Jesus already knew His Supreme Purpose for coming to Earth, so I don’t think He ever expected for this cup to be taken from Him. I believe He was just leaving us the perfect example of prayer. Even more importantly, an example of the perfect faith behind that prayer!
Paul later mirrored this example of prayer, by praying three times for God to remove his "thorn in the flesh". God then revealed to Paul that His grace was sufficient. Next, Paul showed absolute faith in God, by moving forward with His Godly mission!
The lesson here is both simple, yet somewhat complex...
If we genuinely believe God sees everything from beginning to the end, wouldn't we be wise to follow Jesus’ example of the perfect prayer. By trusting completely in our Father’s Eternal Perspective, instead of our own puny temporal perspective.
Well, that's exactly what Paul did when praying about his thorn in the flesh. Realizing that God not only has a greater perspective than him, but always has our greater good in mind. In a comparable way as parents have with their small children. The parent has a greater perspective than their young child, and always looks for the best possible outcome for them.
The only difference being, God’s perspective is much higher than ours. As high as the heavens are from the earth!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55: 8-9 (KJV)
For example, we may take our small child's favorite toy from them because we have found that other children have choked to death on that same toy. Our young child will probably cry, throw a fit, and become very mad at us! Thinking in their little toddler mind, why would a loving parent ever do such a thing?
Meaning, the next time we pray, we should have complete and total faith in what we are praying for, but even more faith in the One we are praying too!
We can do so by completely surrendering our will, for God's Will. Even if it means not getting what we thought we needed! One day we will find out what a difference all our prayers made in our life, as well as in the life of others. Both the answered, and the seemingly unanswered ones!
Once we have absolute faith in God and His answer's, we will experience and exhibit a peace and power that we never dreamed possible. While at the same time, learning the difference between our wants and needs. We may want one thing, but need another.
And God will always supply our need over our wants. No matter whether the need is physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, or financial. And He will always supply them through our loving Shepherd, Jesus Christ!
And once all our need is being supplied, we "shall not want" for anything, ever again!