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

Philippians 4:19

My fiancé and I recently got a dog. She is the cutest thing you could ever imagine. Weighing in at about 12 pounds, this Shih Tzu named Yumi has completely won our hearts. Yumi came to us through my fiancé’s grandparents, who were no longer able to care for her. So, at 9 months old, Yumi joined our little family. I don’t know how much experience you have with training puppies, but let me tell you—I’m getting a crash course. On her very first morning with me, she had an accident because I didn’t wake up early enough to take her out. Every morning since, she wakes me up whining to be let out of her crate. She needs walks, she needs to be fed at specific times, and she NEEDS to be played with—or at least she thinks she does! Now, at this point, some of you may be rolling your eyes, thinking, “It’s a dog, it’s not that serious,” and honestly, I’d agree. Yet, despite myself, I find I’m becoming more and more attuned to her needs. As I’ve been caring for Yumi, I started wondering how similar this relationship might be to God’s relationship with the Israelites in the desert—constant need, and little to no words of praise or appreciation. Yumi’s life is filled with need, and the Israelites in the wilderness mostly expressed their needs to God. And yet, despite what seems like a one-sided relationship, God still provided everything they needed. Why? I wonder if God’s Word holds some clues for us. Let’s dive in.

Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time, the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

 Genesis 12:6–7

Yumi and the Israelites both had a “promised land.” For Yumi, it’s the park 5 minutes from home. For the Israelites, it was something much greater and further away. The Promised Land was a literal promise from God to Abraham. In that land, God planned to establish Abraham’s descendants as a mighty nation—one that would represent Him to the entire world. But through a series of choices, Abraham’s descendants didn’t reach the land easily. We find them in the book of Exodus, wandering in the wilderness, hoping to finally arrive in the land God promised.

The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the LORD. For the LORD had sworn to them that they would not see the land he had solemnly promised their ancestors to give us, a land flowing with milk and honey.

Joshua 5:6

Throughout their journey, the Israelites made many mistakes. They disobeyed God and worshiped a golden calf they had made. They complained about not having food, and when God sent manna from heaven, they complained again, so God sent quail, and they ate so much they got sick. Right before they were supposed to enter the Promised Land, they got scared and turned back, not trusting God’s power. Simply put, the Israelites were a mess. Yet, God still took care of them.

The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

Deuteronomy 2:7

In His infinite mercy, God made sure the Israelites lacked nothing. They hadn’t even reached the land of abundance yet—they were still in the wilderness—and still, they lacked nothing. Today, we often don’t realize that even when we feel like we’re wandering in a wilderness, facing challenge after challenge, we actually lack nothing, because we have God.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.

Philippians 3:8

I believe that when Paul wrote these words, he understood what it meant to have needs and yet to consider those needs insignificant compared to knowing Christ. Whether he was in prison, shipwrecked, hungry, or being chased out of a town, Paul knew he didn’t need anything but Christ. He wasn’t in the Promised Land; he was looking ahead to eternal life with Christ in heaven. We, too, are waiting for our Promised Land. Like the Israelites and like Paul, we will face challenges, but we can rest assured, knowing that when Christ is all we need, we will truly lack nothing.