Supply and Demand

You have probably heard of the phrase, “supply and demand”.  It is used to describe the market conditions in business and will affect the prices we then end up paying.  When there is a high supply and not enough people wanting it then the prices tend to be lower to drive demand and ultimately sales.  When the demand is high and supply is low then prices are higher as they reflect the supply ability.

Now that I have exhausted my knowledge on economics you are probably wondering what on earth this has to do with the chapters we are reading this week!  Well quite a lot, as it is a common theme that runs throughout, but the way the early church dealt with it was very different to how the world often responds.

In Acts 3, we see that it is an ordinary day and Peter and John are going up to the temple to pray when they get stopped by a lame person wanting money.  Suddenly they are faced with a demand but actually don’t have the supply that this man is wanting.  They don’t have any silver and gold but instead they have a better supply which they do give, the healing power of Jesus!  The man is healed and his life is transformed.  How often do we find ourselves in situations where we don’t have what people are demanding from us?  So often we can allow this to become a source of frustration but instead, as we allow the Spirit to lead us, we can like Peter and John, give people what they need which is far greater!

At the end of Acts 4 we get a glimpse of how the early church was living in relationship to one another.  From time to time, people were selling their possessions (land and houses) and bringing the money to the Apostles so that it could then be used to meet the needs of others.  Once again we see a demand being met but this time it is through the resources that people were willing to give up.

We’ll skip over Ananias and Sapphira for now and jump to Acts 6, where a different demand is seen with a group of Greek Jewish widows being overlooked and missed out in the supply of daily provisions.  This wasn’t right and so the Apostles put a plan in place to select some guys who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  This made sure that everyone got what they needed.

All three of these different stories show us some key truths.  Firstly, that there will always be demands and these will vary from situation to situation.  However, the response of the love of God is that these demands will always be met, and no one will miss out.  God wants to meet your needs and the needs of those around you.  He also wants to use you to release His supply through you to others.  That might be in releasing the power of God.  It might be in selling some possessions and bringing the money so that others can be blessed.  It might be in His wisdom and Spirit being seen in you so that you can take on a piece of work in the church family to help ensure no one is missed out!

I want to encourage you to think about what resources and supply the Lord has given you and made available to you that you can bless others with.  This week there will be demands that others put in front of you and you will be able to give them the supply that will meet those demands!

Demand is always around and the good news is that in God’s Kingdom there is always a supply that fully meets it so that no one is missed out!