The greatest human need is more Spirit

Perceiving that the real and true supply for our needs is spiritual, we can at once understand that God all the time meets every man’s need with His Spirit, which is substance, strength, harmony, life, and an everlasting dwelling place. “In Him, we live and move and have our being.” Whoever appropriates this spiritual supply gains the kingdom of heaven.

But what about men’s need for material food, drink, and raiment? Are not these human needs? Has God always met these needs? Yes, He has always met even these needs, although He has not forced the appropriation of the supply upon those who would not seek to gain it in the proper manner. These needs are not real, but only apparent; still, they are very imperative from humanity’s present standpoint; and Christ Jesus has pointed out in clear and unmistakable language the right method of appropriating the supply. “Be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” In other words, whoever sufficiently appropriates the real, spiritual food, drink, raiment, shelter, strength, health, and life, will infallibly have a sufficient supply of the material counterparts of these spiritual realities “added unto” him, as long as he has need of any material supply.

The greatest human need, even here and now, is more Spirit, rather than more matter. The trouble with most men is, that, relatively, they have too much matter in proportion to their present vital possession of Spirit. If any man lacks material supply, it is a sure sign that he has not sufficient hold on Spirit, though the converse proposition is not true, that an abundant material supply is necessarily a sign that the owner is “rich toward God.” But if any man lacks material supply, his first effort should be, not to gain more matter, but more of Spirit. If he does so, his need will not only be “met,” as it always was and always will be, far more than half way, but his need will be filled. “Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness (right-wise-ness); for they shall be filled,” not only with the kingdom of God, but even with the supply of their material needs.

So it is true that, “divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need;” and men will always find their need, not only “met,” but abundantly satisfied, if they will “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”