Philippians 4:19

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

There’s a cartoonist that I follow on Facebook named Jim Hunt. Last night, he posted a drawing of a woman sitting at her computer with a hot mug of coffee nearby, looking a bit hum-drum. The caption read: Some days, I’m reminded that my problems are quite small in the big picture… This is one of those days.

Between the bombings in Boston, the plant explosion in West, Texas, ever-mounting tension with North Korea, and the manhunt in Boston all in just this week, not to mention the rising increase in earthquakes and other natural disasters around the world, it’s been easier this week to slow down, enjoy the company of those we love, and remember that our To Do list is only useful if God’s the One writing it.

Some Christians would use events like these to point to biblical prophecy, proclaiming that “the End is near!” However, even Jesus stated that he does not know the appointed hour. So, why speculate?

Certainly, despite all that’s going on in the world, the majority of us can agree, we still have our homes, our loved ones are safe, and we have the same number of fingers, toes and limbs that we started the day off with.

These acts of terror and natural disaster remind us that life is short, but I don’t believe they’re intended to scare us. Instead, I think God wants to remind us to value the real treasures that He has given to us; the gift of our loved ones and the relationship we have with Him through Jesus Christ. He is the only one who can bring us from the depths of despair to the heights of hope.

Paul reminds us in Philippians that God will meet all of our needs abundantly. He goes beyond meeting our basic needs for food and water, and enriches our lives with the relationships he brings into them.

In my home, I have a plaque that hangs on my office wall. It reads: Rich is not how much you have, or where you are going, or even what you are. Rich is who you have beside you.

So let me ask you this… As we write, do we seek to write for fame? Glory? Celebrity? Or do we write to enrich the lives of those we love?

We have some people here who write devotionals to inspire others. We have some who write stories to enlighten our imaginations. And there are still others who write what they know, in order to have something to leave behind, charting the course they took in life to edify those who read their material.

Whatever your motivating force in writing, know that God knows your needs, and He will meet them abundantly until the very day that He decides you’ve fulfilled your calling, regardless of whatever else is going on in the world.

Content yourself with that, and use your gifts and talents to honor the God who loves you dearly. Cherish the things of this world that He values the most; each other.