Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
When we read the promises of God, we must read them the way we ourselves want to be heard—in full context. Just as we expect others to understand our words in light of what we’ve said before, God expects us to interpret His promises in light of all He has revealed in His Word.
It’s tempting to isolate a promise like “ask anything in My name” and stretch it to cover every personal desire. But “anything” doesn’t mean “everything.” And “whosoever” doesn’t mean “whoever ignores God’s will.” God’s promises are not blank checks for the self-centered or the disobedient. He hasn’t promised to fulfill our every whim—He has promised to equip us for His will.
Imagine being asked to build a fence, and the one who sent you says, “If you need anything, call me.” That “anything” clearly applies to fence-building, not requesting a sports car! Likewise, when God says, “Ask anything,” He means anything related to what He has asked you to do. He has not promised to indulge our whims but to equip us for His work.
This is why many prayers seem to go unanswered—not because God is unfaithful, but because we’ve misunderstood how they relate to His assignment for our lives. False assumptions produce false expectations, and false expectations delay the heart’s joy (“Hope deferred makes the heart sick”—Proverbs 13:12). But when our desires align with His purpose, prayers are answered, lives are transformed, and Christ is being formed within us. (Galatians 4:19)
God never promised to fulfill all our wants, but He has assured us that He will meet all our needs (Philippians 4:19). His provision is always connected to His purpose. He is faithful in equipping you for His calling, not to make life more comfortable but to make you more useful for His Kingdom.
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]In Hebrew, the word for hardness is “kosher”. Interestingly enough, the word “kosher” also means “fitness”, as from a workout in the gym. Yes — it’s a workout to serve the Lord in this world — but God has called us to it!
One of the great marvels of the Roman Empire was the invention of the aqueduct system to provide water over vast distances. It was an absolutely ingenious method which made use of gravity, with stone arches to support the water channels. An aqueduct was built in 109 AD which carried water to the city of Segovia for eighteen hundred years. For nearly sixty generations this aqueduct provided cool water from the mountains above. But fairly recently, it was beginning to collapse.
I love fishing but sadly, I haven't been able to do it in quite some time. Yeah, I know, one would think there'd be some good fishing spots here in Israel. However, from what I understand, they're not really available to the public. So sad. Nevertheless, fishing gives me a chance to get a break from the world and just relax and meditate -- and on a good day, maybe catch a fish or two.
When Daniel was in the midst of the lion’s den…God was with him. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the midst of the fiery furnace…God was with them. It would have been perfectly easy for God to immediately transport these saints out of their difficulties, but no, He chose instead to be with them in the midst of their trials. God chose to reveal His power through the trials instead of exercising His power to remove them.
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Do you ever wonder why it is that sometimes we don't get the things we pray for? James hits it on the nail when he says that we ask amiss, that we may consume it upon our pleasures.
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