Empty Tanks and Full Hearts: A Philippians 4:19 Devotional

But my God shall supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19

A few years ago I stopped to get gas late at night. It was one of those “coasting in on fumes” situations. I jammed the nozzle into the tank, tapped through the payment screen, and hopped back into the car to avoid freezing while it filled. My brain was already running through bedtime routines and tomorrow’s to-do list.

From the back seat, the preschoolers fired off a barrage of questions:

“Can we go in and get a snack?” (No.)

“Can I wear my princess jammies tonight?” (Absolutely!)

“Can you name all the dinosaurs in the Jurassic period, mom?” (Hard pass.)

The gas kept flowing, so I did what any overwhelmed millennial mom would do—I opened Instagram. Nothing major: a baby announcement, a meme worthy of a laughing emoji. Then I glanced over my shoulder at the pump.

“Wow, I must’ve been really empty,” I mumbled, watching the numbers fly.

A few more preschooler questions… a few more swipes… I looked again.

Ninety dollars.
I jumped out of the car—straight into a river of gasoline.
Gasoline that I was paying for.
“NOOOOOO,” I groaned. “This cannot be happening.”

I slammed the pump off, but the damage was done. A puddle of gas had formed at my feet. My tank was, as Paul might say, filled to overflowing (emphasis on the overflowing).

That phrase is exactly the picture Paul paints when writing to the Philippian church about God’s provision:

And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19 (AMP)

Your needs aren’t a problem for God. He’s rich beyond what you can fathom. He has more than enough, and He isn’t stingy with it.

That doesn’t mean He’s going to make you Sam Walton or Taylor Swift rich. (I mean, if He does, praise hands.) But the kind of “rich” Paul’s talking about is deeper. It’s better.

My family has been at family camp this week and every day we walk by one particularly massive lake house. My kids oooh and ahhh over it every time we pass. It’s got a huge deck overlooking a stunning lake, thick craftsman trim, gorgeous hydrangeas blooming outside, the works.

But, I reminded them, having a beautiful house doesn’t mean you have a beautiful life.

It just means you have a big house. The people inside could be miserable. The dad may be working so much he never tucks his kids into bed. We don’t know what goes on inside a house looking from the outside.

Instead of what we think we want, God wants to fill our lives with what we actually need.

My God will richly fill your every need in a glorious way through Christ Jesus. (GW)

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. (MSG)

And I know that my Creator will take care of all your needs from the great treasures of his beauty through the Chosen One, Creator Sets Free (Jesus). (FNVNT)

Jesus has endless stores of treasures for your life that are the actual good stuff of life. This is the richness He has for us:

• Love when you feel alone.
• Peace when your world’s a mess.
• Patience when your kiddo loses their ever-loving mind.
• Joy, kindness, and self-control (yes, even when you’re running late and the baby wiped their nose on the front of your shirt).
• Community that carries you when you’re too tired to carry yourself.
• The unshakeable knowledge that God is with you, for you, and cares deeply about you.

Life might feel like it’s falling apart. But God is bringing good things together for you. You don’t need to frantically search for security. You are already being supplied with more than enough, poured straight from God’s endless riches.

Maybe today you feel like you’re running on fumes. Maybe it feels like your life is overflowing with more mishaps and missteps than good things. Maybe your “to-do” list is a mile long and your soul feels bone-dry.

God sees it.

He’s not rationing His love or His help. He’ll meet you where you are—with exactly what you need–more than you could ever ask or imagine.

Father, meet us today with an overflow of provision, with an overflow of YOU. Come be a part of our messy lives and messy hearts. Give us what we need, Jesus. You know every area of lack–and we believe You are capable and willing of supplying us. In the name of our friend Jesus. Amen.