SUPPLYING WHAT IS LACKING
Luke 7:36-39, 44-47; John 6:5-9; Nehemiah 3:4,5,27; Proverbs 31:10,11
I seek help to speak about supplying what is lacking, about meeting a need. I was impressed recently in reading the epistles to the Corinthians locally that in 1 Corinthians 16:17 Paul writes, “I rejoice in the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus; because they have supplied what was lacking on your part”. There were persons present who were able to minister to Paul that which others should have provided. They were able to supply what was lacking.
The woman in Luke 7 supplied what was lacking: there were things that Simon should have provided. He invited the Lord into his house, but he did not afford him the common courtesy of the day: it was left to this woman to do that. She may seem an unlikely source to supply what was needed. There were great men in John 6, and it was a little boy that supplied what was needed there. In Nehemiah, you would expect that the nobles of the Tekoites would have put their necks to the work, but they did not. Despite that lack, the Tekoites saw a need and repaired a second part of the wall. There was something lacking among those who should have provided. This might suggest how the body of the saints, in an unheralded way, went on and did what was needed that the wall should be complete, that there should be no gaps.
The scripture in Proverbs suggests that the assembly is a great source of supply. The assembly operates, as we have often been reminded, on the basis of what it brings. And in these scriptures that I have read there are persons able to bring resources to meet a need. Every one in this room today can help to meet a need. I want to make clear that I have nothing specifically in mind as to a particular need or lack. I have been the beneficiary of a lack that has been made up from the divine side, as I trust everyone here has been. The Lord Jesus has worked to supply what was needed to give me a place before God. Who of us does not appreciate what the Lord Jesus has done? What we could not do or provide, He has done. He has become poor that we by His poverty might be enriched (2 Cor.8:9). He has supplied a lack: He stepped in and provided what was needed. It is really a principle of Christianity that where there is a need, there is the wherewithal to supply it.
The question is, can I help to supply what is needed? It might not be an outwardly great thing; it is a simple matter and it is not beyond any one of us. We have read of a sister, we have read of a young person, and we have read of a locality. We could have read of households: there is no shortage of examples in scripture. God Himself supplies what is needed. In the first Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul writes that if there is a part of the body that is lacking in comeliness, God gives it more abundant honour (chap.12:24). Think of that: God Himself does so. And the great outcome of all of this is seen in the “woman of worth” in Proverbs 31. “The heart of her husband confideth in her, and he shall have no lack of spoil”. We are in a period when things need to be done. There is something for each one of us to do, irrespective of where we are in our experience with God.
There are needs to be met. They might not be known by anyone except the Lord Jesus Himself, and you. Often that will be the case – service that is done quietly and in an unassuming way that the Lord alone is aware of. It is not that you see a need and you take it up because it brings any recognition to yourself: far from it. Think of what the Lord Jesus did when He was here. It says in the gospels that if all the things He had done were written down, not even the world itself would contain the books written (John 21:25). The scriptures we have are very precious, but what the Lord Jesus did in His pathway here amongst men was much more extensive. He was constantly working, meeting needs, doing what was required, bringing persons to blessing. He does that still.
The scriptures we have read are encouraging. You get some sense of the Lord’s approval of this woman when He turns to her and says to Simon, “Seest thou this woman?” Think of what this meant to the Lord Jesus. It was Simon who had invited Him in. The Lord knew about this woman and He knew about Simon, and the woman took the opportunity. That is a matter that enters into these scriptures as well: if the woman had not done what she did at this point, the opportunity would have passed, and it may not have presented itself again. Sometimes there is a need to be met at a particular point in time, and if you do not do anything then the need may not be met or someone else may do it. You may miss the benefit of meeting a need. Think of the benefit to this woman: how would she have felt when the Lord turned to her and spoke to Simon? She was not seeking a place, she did not say anything, but she heard these words conveying the Lord’s approval.
There is a saying in the world that actions speak louder than words. Here is a scripture that somewhat bears that out. The Lord took account of what the woman did. Her actions brought out opposition in Simon. How cold and barren this scene would have been for the Lord had the woman not been there. The Lord Jesus does not start with Simon’s faults. He starts by speaking about everything that the woman had done. Sometimes, speaking for myself, if I see a need I might complain and ask why the need arose, and why has it not been met already, rather than just accepting that there is something to be done that nobody needs to know about. This woman was not looking for any recognition. Her love for the Lord Jesus caused her to act in this way, and that is a great motive in seeking to do anything for the Lord. He was her object.
Think of the movements of this woman, a woman in the city who was a sinner. The Lord knew that, yet He appreciated what she was prepared to do for Him. She overcame obstacles to minister to the Lord in this way, and she was helped in doing so. The Lord appreciated it, and He drew attention in detail to what the woman had done and how He appreciated it: “she loved much”. Think of the Lord’s words to her, and what they would mean to her: “she loved much”. Elsewhere He says of another woman, “What she could she has done”, Mark 14:8. I think that characterises everything that I am saying. It is not beyond anyone to do what they can. Great things are not being asked for, but if everyone does what they can, then things move forward and they move forward in power. They also move forward with the Lord’s approval.
Nobody had asked this woman to do what she did – it flowed from her own heart, from her own love of the Lord Jesus and her appreciation of what He had done for her. She took the place of a five hundred denarii debtor. Are we prepared to take that place? Are we among those to whom much has been forgiven, who therefore should love much? I feel the edge of it myself, but there is no doubt that she was able to supply a need that was lacking, a need that Simon should have met. It was in his house, and he had invited the Lord here, but he had not even washed His feet: the woman did that. It was a great matter, and how He appreciated it. Then she had her reward, not only in terms of what He said about her but in hearing His words, “Thy sins are forgiven”. He saw her love for Him, and what her motives were; how He appreciated it. He can see everything, as we were reminded in the reading. He knows our hearts and motives, and He appreciates when things are done for Him.
The little boy in John 6 was not expecting that what he had brought with him was going to be used in this way. Young persons can be helpful in providing what is needed. Think of the colt tied – “the Lord has need of it”, Luke 19:31. Young persons are here today, and the Lord has need of you as He had need of this boy. The boy perhaps did not know very much about it. Andrew knew that the boy was there and he knew what he had. Andrew was, I suppose, a great person along with Philip in this incident, but what they had was not sufficient. Indeed, they were not able to bring anything. And then the Lord says things to Philip which are described as “trying him, for he knew what He was going to do”. He was going to demonstrate that something in His hands could meet every need. There were persons needing to be fed. Everyone could see that what the little boy had was not sufficient, but in the hands of the Lord it was more than sufficient. They took up what remained “and filled twelve hand-baskets full of fragments of the five barley loaves, which were over and above to those that had eaten” (v.13).
In this situation, Philip and Andrew were persons who might have been expected to provide what was needed, because there was a lack. Without faith, the five barley loaves and the two small fishes were not sufficient for so many but in the Lord’s hands there is what is sufficient. We sang of that in our hymn:
‘The manna and the springing well
Suffice for every need.’ (Hymn 271)
Have you proved that, dear friend? Have you proved in yourself that there is sufficiency in Christ to meet every need?
This little boy was the means of the multitude being fed. The fact that he was there and he had provision available meant that under the Lord’s hand persons were fed and satisfied. How great that is! Sometimes it might be a question asked in a meeting, or it might not even be something that is said – it might simply be the fact that you are there. By being present you may be an encouragement, and thus help what is mutual to flow among the brethren. We appreciate that in our meetings together. Not everyone can speak, but although sisters do not speak they contribute to what is in circulation among the saints, as do the children. It is a great matter to take account of the feeding that takes place in an environment where the Lord is active and operating. In this setting, He took the loaves and distributed to those that were set down. As a result of this boy being available and providing what was lacking, everyone was fed and satisfied.
The food supply is very important and maintaining it is vital. We had in the reading as to the need for food so that we might not faint. The food that we need is found in Christ. Think of what the barley loaves would suggest to us about the Lord Jesus, and the way that He has become available to us, having come into this scene and then giving Himself for us. These thoughts and feelings about Christ are to be in circulation, they should be spoken of freely among us, because they build up a constitution. They help to feed people, to keep us strong and keep us engaged in the Lord’s things, which is a wonderful matter. It is not beyond any one of us.
There are others mentioned in Scripture who provided what was lacking in relation to food. Gideon threshed wheat in the wine-press, an area which was unconducive to provision of this nature, but he worked there and he secured things from the Midianites (Judg.6:11). There are those that would seek to interfere with the food supply and bring about a lack. The actions and the availability of this young person meant that there was food and to spare. May it be an encouragement to those that are younger to be involved in the Lord’s things and to seek to further what He is doing at any given point.
I was encouraged by these persons spoken of in Nehemiah. The Tekoites are mentioned briefly in this fairly long and detailed chapter. There is much teaching as to it which is worth looking into, including what the various gates mean, and the building that goes on. There are a few things I want to draw out, but I recommend to all of us to read this chapter. The different gates, and the broad wall, the old wall, are all suggestive of the testimony and what is taking place currently. But the matter of repairing the wall is particularly important. The wall was necessary to protect what was inside, and if persons had not worked then there would have been gaps in the wall, which would have made it difficult to defend. The enemy could get in. Those who worked at repairing the wall did so because they felt there was something to be protected, and so it is with us. We have come to appreciate divine things that are precious, and they need to be protected. If we are to come into the good of them, there has to be exercise on our part to understand them, and then we need to protect them. These walls were protective. Separation protects what is precious, and we need to be engaged in this work to build and to repair the wall.
There are many references in the chapter to “next to them”, “next to him” or “beside him”. It indicates how important it is, that we work together and repair together, and put ourselves to the work. It says of the Tekoites that they repaired “next to them”: “And next to them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord”. You would normally expect the nobles to take more of a burden than the ordinary people. But it is recorded that “they put not their necks to the work”. But in the next reference in verse 27 it says, “After him the Tekoites repaired a second piece”. It is as if the members of that family recognised that their nobles had not done what they should have done, and that there was still a need, a lack that needed to be filled up, so they repaired a second piece.
There are four references in the chapter to persons or people who took up a second piece. It suggests that those who did this were particularly exercised to do what was required to supply what otherwise would have been lacking. It was inconceivable that the wall should have been left with four gaps. But what would have happened had these persons not been sufficiently exercised and motivated to do what was needed to fill the gaps? That comes down to us: young brethren, older ones, there is work to be done. It may not be work of this nature, and I am not stating specifically what the work may entail. It may be visiting people, keeping in touch with them; it may be something the Lord has in mind for you to do that only you know about. Let us be exercised to do what God would have us do, and not leave it to others. Perhaps you think there are others more able than you are. Who of us does not think that? In John 6, Andrew says, “what is it for so many?” Who of us has not thought that? Yet there is something that is laid on you, and if you take it up and seek help to do it, the Lord comes in for you.
The Lord has something for you to do; perhaps He has something for you to do that He does not have in mind for anyone else. Each of these scriptures suggests that there may have been others better able than those who did what was needed. But the work needed to be done, and someone was available to do it. That person could be you. Perhaps it should be you or me. May we be encouraged in taking that up, because when we think about gaps we are often reminded that there are ranks to be filled, which is a question for each one of us – ranks to be filled so there should not be any gaps. There are persons who have been in the testimony and who are now no longer available. Some are now with the Lord Jesus, and you feel that there is a gap. It is not that you can replace such persons. There are those with great experience and knowledge who are no longer available because the Lord has taken them. There are persons of gift in the gospel who are no longer able to preach. How do we feel about that? In one sense they cannot be replaced, but young brother, are you prepared to put your hand to the plough and commit yourself to preach? It is not that you can replace a brother of experience, but you can do your part to begin to fill a gap. And if someone else is prepared to take up their part, we see the gap being filled. If everyone is prepared to commit themselves to do a little more for the Lord, that is how the ranks are filled. Individuals are not replaced exactly, but things continue in a measure of power because the Lord is involved in it. That is a matter for each one of us and there is something for all to do, and the result will be that there is no lack of spoil. There will not be any lack of spoil. The Holy Spirit will see to that, but there is responsibility on us, and there is to be a desire on our part that the Lord should have no lack of spoil.
The “woman of worth” in Proverbs is working here in the scene of her husband’s absence. He is known in the gates because of what can be taken account of in his wife, which is a wonderful thing. She represents him, although it is more than that. “The heart of her husband confideth in her, and he shall have no lack of spoil”. There will be no lack. The assembly will provide what Christ is looking for, and that is a great source of encouragement. There is something for us all to do in order that what the Lord is looking for should be supplied. We are in the dispensation of grace when resources are available to supply every need. We were speaking in our reading on Thursday night about new covenant ministers (2 Cor.3), which involves the line of supply rather than demand. The new covenant brings in liberty. I think new covenant ministry would include what we supply in our spirits: think of the “supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ”, Phil.1:19. If that is in operation, if that is in circulation, how could there be any lack? We have One who, as we touched on in our hymn, has gone before us and He has not only shown us the way we are to be in this scene, but the way in which things are to be done. Think of the Lord Jesus being represented here by what is true to Him, and we have our part in that.
These thoughts have been feebly expressed, dear brethren, but I trust that every one in this room may be prepared to do what is required to supply what the Lord may indicate, and to be on this line of ensuring that the Lord has no lack of spoil. He is worthy of it all. Scripture records the words “This is David’s spoil”, 1 Sam.30:20. There is great wealth accruing to Him. He has bound the strong man, He has plundered his goods (Matt.12:29). We are in a time when there is much which is for the heart of Christ and we can contribute to it. What a privilege it is. He has done everything for us. May we be prepared to do more for Him.
For His name’s sake.
Kirkcaldy
30 September 2023
Rodney Brown