Section 4
with me in the account of giving and receiving but you only."
Later, when Paul was in prison, he had certain physical needs. Because Paul was still human, he expected the Philippians to continue remember ing him. But for a period of time, the Philippi ans did not do this. This is implied by Paul's word in Philippians 4:10: "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you caused your think ing for me to blossom anew; wherein you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportu nity." Notice the words "at length" and "blossom anew." For some time, the Philippians' thinking of Paul had been dormant; it might even have withered. Their thinking for him certainly was not blossoming. But when Paul wrote this verse, winter had passed and spring had come. He could now say that their thinking for him had begun to blossom anew.
It was sovereign of the Lord that the material supply from the Philippians had stopped tem porarily. This time when there was no supply was a time of testing for Paul, a time for him to be abased. No doubt, when Epaphroditus came with the supply, making a large deposit into the heavenly account, that was the time for Paul to abound. Therefore, in verse 12 he could declare,