NEEDS AND WANTS

Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:8
Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

God knows what we need. He is aware of everything that is going on. He has not forgotten you. Isn’t that a relief? Knowing that someone is taking care of us and we do not have to worry.

There is a caveat to that. We cannot just sit on the couch and wait for stuff to drop from heaven. We need to be active in our faith that God will supply our need.

We get ourselves into trouble when we confuse our needs with our wants. God has promised to supply our needs, not our wants. Do you need steak and lobster for dinner? No. We just need food to eat. Do you need designer clothes? No. We just need clothes to wear.

Matthew 6:31-33
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The intent of our heart is an important part of this. We don’t do things for God just to see what we can get from Him. We do things to put ourselves in line with God’s word. When our heart lines up with His, there is no limit to what God will do.

When the Israelites traveled thru the desert, they had no food or water. All they had brought with them was gone. They were hungry and thirsty. God fed them and He gave them water. He didn’t give them steak and lobster. But they were fed. They had exactly what they needed.
Exodus 15:22-27 (water)
Exodus 16:4-5 (manna)
Exodus 17:5-6 (water)
Exodus 16: 11-14 (quails, manna)

God did supply what they needed. But, they still had to go out every day and collect it. They worked for it and God made it available to them. It didn’t just drop into their lap. Our faith needs to be active, not stagnant.

Are you living within your means? Do you have enough money each month to meet your obligations and provide food, clothing and shelter for your family? If so, then you have what you need and you are living within your means. If not, then you are living a lifestyle that doesn’t fit your means. Are there too many “wants” coming out of your paycheck?

God will supply what we need, not what we want. If we are not satisfied with what we have, we will never be satisfied with more. God will give to us as we are able to receive it. When we trust God with our needs, He will provide.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture verses are from the New King James Version of the Bible.