TOPIC:“A Pearl of a Promise”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Philippians 4:14-19
“But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (4:19)
When General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, lay dying, he turned to his son and three times repeated these words: “The promises of God are sure.” And so they are! When God makes a promise it is based upon His sovereignty, His justice and His mercy. There are no conceivable circumstances which prevent God from fulfilling them. It is His pledged word to us that what He has promised will be fulfilled.
Someone has estimated there are almost 7,500 promises in the Bible. They cover every conceivable human need of life. John Bunyan, the English preacher and writer of the 17th century, was right when he said, “The pathway of life is spread so thickly with the promises of God that it is impossible to take one step without treading upon one of them.” How gloriously true!
Here Paul is saying, “God has supplied my need through you.” This same God, I am confident, is going to supply your need, which will far surpass anything you can imagine. I don't believe Paul's primary reference here is to a future reward, but for a present realization. It is a promise for the here and now. Let's examine closely this magnificent pearl.
Consider, first of all, in these words of Paul we behold something PERSONAL - “But my God” (v. 19). “My God” - how personal!
The Epistle to the Philippians reveals a self-portrait of Paul that is not found in any other letter. It is the most personal of all his Epistles. It gives us the real character of Paul as it unveils his most personal feelings about the triune God. He could not be satisfied with a second rate knowledge of God. The God hunger of his soul was for a personal, deeper, and more intimate experience with the God of Heaven. There was no substitute for this. He was completely consumed by this one great desire.
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