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Philippians 4:14-20
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. Even without a record of all the events in Abraham’s life we can know his Moriah experience was one of his most demanding trials. God often uses severe trials to force us to look deep into our hearts to find our true allegiance to Him. We can rest assured He will always provide by seeing to our daily needs. Note three principles of God’s goodness we can learn, not just from Moriah, but throughout our lives. Paul makes a great summary statement in Phil. 4:19 which is our focal verse.
- GOD’S GOODNESS COMES FROM A PERSONAL GOD! Paul says “my” God shall supply all your needs. In Greek there are two words that mean “my.” One is ego meaning my in reference to possessions; my car, my home, my pen, my things. The other is emos which is much stronger and much more personal. It would be used to say my hand, my foot, my eye, my spouse, my child. Emos means part of my very being without which my life is incomplete. That’s the word Paul used for “my” God. So which is “my” God to you? Is God a part of your life, or is He a partfrom your life? If your supply is wanting, perhaps you should examine to see where God is in reference to your life. Abraham could say with Paul “my” God, can you?
- GOD’S GOODNESS IS SEEN IN HIS PROVISION! Go back and read Phil 1:6, then use your chain reference to read others like it and you discover God is a God of completion. No part of anything is left undone or incomplete where God is concerned. Often when we ask we want God to supply our needs immediately. He often says “go to Moriah.” We say, “just give me the lamb.” However, God is not now, nor has He ever been in the welfare business. Read Proverbs and you will discover God takes a dim view of the sluggard. Jesus teaches us to ask, seek, and knock, all of which require effort on our part. God gives to us that which is beyond our capability of obtaining. The secret is, as Jesus tells us to seek the kingdom of God first, and all other things will be given, and it will be given completely. Finally notice
- GOD’S GOODNESS ERASES OUR POVERTY! The word “needs” literally means “ to fill completely. The word came to mean “that which is lacking.” Watch! Read Matt. 6:25-34 and focus on 33; Matt. 16:24-26; Prov. 10:3, 22; 21:21. Here is the principle: God fully meets all our physical/temporal needs when we focus on our spiritual needs. Now do you see why your concept of“my” is so important? When God called Abraham to Moriah, He was saying the same thing Jesus said to Peter when He asked him, “do you love me more than…?” God always know exactly what word follows “than!” Neither Abraham, nor Peter, nor us can say to God “just give me…!” We must make the journey to Moriah and go through all the steps necessary to raise the knife, not so God will know, but so we will know where our ultimate love resides. God promises to supply, but only when we raise the knife. Then He gives to us more fully, richly, and abundantly than we would have known without the journey.
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