that knowledge now. I needed faith then. I need more faith now. I need ed love for others then. I need more for others now. I needed humility then. I need more humility now. I needed courage then. I need more courage now. I needed joy then. I need more joy now. I will need all these things tomorrow. We are like leaky vessels. We just cannot contain it all. We might have had great pa tience under a previous trial* but old patience is a stale commodity when one is facing a new trial. Thank God, our needs are not beyond the reach of God’s supply. While God worked great wonders for Paul, He desires to do the same for all of His chil dren. Think first of the supply. The Greek word here means to make full. In other words, there is an abundant supply. I think of the widow whose creditors wanted to take her two sons in payment for her unpaid debt. All she had in her house was a pot of oil. At the command of the man of God, she borrowed every available vessel from her neighbors. Then God’s servant said, “Pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And said unto her, There is not a vessel more” (2 Kings 4:4, 6). What a thrilling story! Bring your vessels, not a few. Let God supply all your needs by pouring into those vessels of His fullness. This wonderful promise is to those who offer a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. May this be true in your heart is our earnest and sincere prayer. The small boy’s profound definition of parenthood was suggesting that his mother and father were babysitters for God. * * * Profanity is simply a public announce ment of a man's stupidity.
Christian sacrifices for Christ’s sake, that Christian can be well assured that God will never be his debtor. This passage is not written to un saved people. It does not even apply to all Christians. It is for those who give themselves and their substance as a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God. Some Christians rightly make their giving an act of faith. I know of no better way to be assured of future supply than faith fulness to God in the present. He is the faithful rewarder of self-sacri- ficial service on our part. Who can estimate the range or the depths of God’s resources? Your need may be met by His riches. Your need may be very great, but His riches are far greater. God’s infinite and ex haustless fullness is enough for any man. He supplies all our needs not to relieve us of responsibility. There are no restrictions or limitations placed upon a faithful steward of God. Just as we trusted Christ for salvation, we can trust Him for our daily supply. Look for a moment at Paul now aging in a Roman prison cell, waiting to be put to death. Yet, he is cheer ful according to Phil. 4:10. He is contented, Phil. 4:11. He is confident, Phil 4:13. Paul’s heart is overjoyed with the love which prompted the saints at Philippi to send him their goods for his release. God would abundantly repay them for all that they had done. What are our needs? The greatest is to recognize that we have a need to begin with. The tragedy of the Laodicean church lay in this very thing. They were saying, “I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing.” Jesus said, “Thou knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17). I am much more needy now than thirty-five years ago when starting out as a new Christian. I needed knowledge of the Scriptures then. I need more of 12
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