Philippians 4:19
9 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4:19 is a portion of a letter that Paul writes to the people of Philippi in gratitude for all their support, physically, materially, and spiritually, during the times of his travel and imprisonment while sharing the Gospel and encouraging others in becoming faithful believers in Jesus Christ.
Often, we read a passage like this in isolation from the full text and cling to specific words. As in this verse, there is an expectation that God will supply everything we ask for, and we overlook the word “need” and interpret it as “want.” God watches over us and knows the intentions of our hearts and knows what we need physically, materially, and spiritually.
As I write this, I reflect on my needs and the needs of our church and community. As a congregation, we faced many challenges in 2025 that stemmed from political, social, and economic stressors. Members of our congregation face health issues, though not alone. Our congregation has stepped up in many ways to help those in need.
Personally, there were times when I needed to attend workshops and training sessions and search for resources to help me understand immigration law and rights, so I could be fully present for and help those in our church and community. Our congregation did not come out of this unscathed, with one deported, one detained, and another self-deported to prevent additional agony to their families. I invested time and effort in learning the community’s needs and helped identify ways to address them. Some lost their jobs; others had to return to work and faced added expenses, such as childcare, pet sitters, and dog walkers. Many were affected by financial cuts in programs such as grants, scholarships, and health and support benefits. Many members of the Butler community blessed us through generous donations during the Thanksgiving and Christmas Loaves and Fishes food distribution. Our congregation also experienced a decrease in giving due to all the above circumstances and more. However, God supplied our every need according to God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
One of his statements was that the Sabbath was made for humanity, and not humankind for the Sabbath. This statement calls for love and service of one another without any restrictions.
Indeed, 2025 was a busy year for our church. We kept our faith and trust in God, and we are determined to do what God calls us to do because we are a people destined for greatness!
Fast-forward, literally, we are in the year 2026 of our Lord and Savior! What this year will bring, we know not, (and we are reassured that it will be good because God is good), and we hold on to the words of gratitude that Paul shared with the people of Philippi, “God will fully satisfy every need of ours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
May 2026 be the year in which we surrender our needs to God, as trusting and faithful believers in Christ, in our personal lives and as a congregation. That we may live into the Gospel and the example of Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously!
A healthy and peaceful new year to you and yours!
In Christ,
Pastor Iraida