Philippians 4:19 NKJV
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Did you know that during the Revolutionary War for independence, historians attribute miraculous protection and intervention from God? Fleeing from the British, the Americans crossed the Catawba River. A sudden storm caused the river to rise, preventing the British from crossing. The Americans also fled from the British by crossing the Yadkin River. As the British arrived, a sudden flood flowed over the riverbanks, once again preventing the British from crossing. Continuing on, the Americans crossed the Dan River. The British arrived, and, you guessed it: the river had risen so high that it stopped them from pursuing again! The British commander in chief Hennery Clinton wrote, "Here the Royal Army was again stopped by a sudden rise of the waters, which had only just fallen (almost miraculously) to let the enemy over, who could not else have eluded Lord Cornwallis; gasp, so close was he upon their rear."29
On another occasion, with troops dealing with starvation, General George Washington earnestly prayed for God's intervention. One foggy morning that winter, the Schuylkill River began overflowing with thousands and thousands of shad that were making their way upstream in unusual early migration. “With pitchforks and shovels the men plunged into the water throwing the fish onto the banks. Suddenly and wonderfully there was plenty of food for the army.30
Our founders leaned on the promise of Philippians 4:19. With their backs up against the wall, they had to put their trust in God. Time after time, the Lord delivered on this great promise. A promise that provided for them beyond the natural and into the supernatural. The natural world reacted in ways to which no man could muster up. Thousands of fish arrived in the midst of starvation. The good news is, God is still offering the same to us today. Are we willing to believe and trust the way our founders did? Are we willing to believe and trust God for more than just the natural? We don’t have to wait until our backs are up against the wall either. Why not allow Him to meet us exactly where we are? Whether it's a rising river or a fish sandwich, God is waiting for us to call on Him. God wants to be our provider.
We’re so accustomed to leaning on our own strengths and abilities when it comes to provision. Why not believe Philippians 4:19 is for us today? I believe the results will be as outstanding for us as it was for our founders. Let’s challenge ourselves’ to trust God to meet all of our needs, not according to our limited resources, but according to His riches in Glory just as He promised.
Action steps
- Read - Re-read Philippians 4:19.
- Think - Think about areas in your life where God has shown up for you; times when you needed something and somehow, in some way, that need was taken care of. Think of ways He's helped others, too. Remember, what God has done for others He will do for you. He's not a respecter of persons.
- Write - Journal about some of those times. When we reflect on God showing up for us (and for others), it stirs up our faith to believe for His supply again.
- Pray - Ask God to help you receive all the blessings He has supplied to you. Jesus gave His all so that you can have life and life more abundantly. God wants to bless you!
- Take away - God loves you and cares about every area of your life. Trust Him. He only has good in mind for you. He is a miraculous God.
“With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live as slaves,”