September 30, 2020
Have you ever been hungry? Not just because you haven’t eaten in several hours, but really hungry and you needed to eat immediately. What did you do? If you were me, you went to the kitchen or a nearby restaurant and found something to eat. But have you ever wondered where that food you just ate came from? Maybe you can trace it back to its source…to the farmer, or rancher, or both? Have you ever thought to go as far back as to creation? Would it have been helpful to go back that far? Or have you ever needed something desperately? How did you get what you needed? Have you ever gotten something you needed unexpectedly? Have you ever relied on God to provide you with something you needed?
Let’s look at how God deals with our need for daily provisions such as food and clothing. Jesus says, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” Matthew 6:26, 28-30 (ESV) Jesus tells us we are not to be anxious, but rather to trust God, for our daily provisions because God will supply our needs.
A miraculous example of this is found in the Bible. It is the well-known story of the feeding of the five thousand. “Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.” Matthew 14:15-21 (ESV) Jesus turned five loaves and two small fish, after praying to His Father, into more than enough food to feed five thousand plus people! There were even twelve baskets full of leftovers.
That miracle of provision was wonderful, but I believe there is an even greater example of God’s provision to Abraham in Genesis 22 which says, “Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.’ So, they went both of them together. And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So, Abraham called the name of that place, ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’” Genesis 22:8, 13-14 (ESV) Our Provider God didn’t just find an offering for Abraham, but for each one of us too! In Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, He became the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the entire world! The perfect Lamb was His only Son, Jesus and now our broken relationship with God can be mended. This provision gives me immense hope. Have you had your relationship with God repaired? If not, it is not too late! Learn how here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
