Context
One of my favorite scenes in the Star Trek: The Final Frontier movie is when Kirk asked why does god need a starship? That statement was the pivotal change in the plot direction and saved the day.
What does God say?
Philippians 4:19 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)
And my God shall satisfy all your needs according to his riches in the glory of Yeshua The Messiah,
Philippians 4:16-20 (NASB)
You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel,
after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone;
for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself,
but I seek for the profit which increases to your account.
But I have received everything in full and have an abundance;
I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma,
an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
What was happening here?
God was supplying their NEEDS according to his riches in glory.
Psalm 23 (NASB)
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
So are you:
- Fearing Evil
- Not sleeping in comfort
- Not drinking from good water
- Finding the reproof of God painful
- Finding your cup empty
- Missing love
Then you are probably:
Jeremiah 2: 11- 13 (NASB)
“Has a nation changed gods
When they were not gods?
But My people have changed their glory
For that which does not profit.
“Be appalled, O heavens, at this,
And shudder, be very desolate,” declares the LORD.
“For My people have committed two evils:
They have forsaken Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To hew for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That can hold no water.
Note how this is phrased.
When you create your own spiritual beliefs, rather than sticking to God’s, you are hewing our your own cistern. What is worst is that it holds no water. You will be thirsty. That cistern is your new god. It may have the same name as the true God, but even that name on it is a lie, placed their by the prince of lies.
Do you know how to get back on the right path?
Romans 12:1 – 3 NASB
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and
holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not
be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you
may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
2 Peter 3: 14 – 18 NASB
Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace,
spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our
beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his
letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which
the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own
destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you
are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory,
both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
To get back on the right path:
- Be diligent to be found by Him in peace (His word is peace), spotless and blameless (His word is spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. See Romans, that patience is a renewed mind concept. So regard HIS patience with us for your renewed mind.
- Do not be carried away by error or unprincipled men
- Do not fail being diligent in your concern with God’s things.
- Grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord (You can only do that by studying and dwelling on HIS word)
In short, keep your eyes on the things above rather than the things of this world. The Father, The Son, and Our Holy Spirit are the things above this world. Keep your eyes on them.