God’s Provision
God is in every intricate detail of our life. When we are weary, and we don’t even know our needs; we can trust that God has it all under control, and will provide as He sees fit.
The phone buzzes. It’s encouragement from a friend when you have had a really rough week. It may seem that nobody knew what you were going through, but God does and places you on the heart of others at just the right time.
Money is running dry, and you are wondering how the bills will be paid. You are starting to feel the pressure, but an unexpected work day relieves the load. Our finances are not a surprise to God.
Perhaps you prayed you would not be nervous at a speaking event (cough…cough, this is not a personal story or nothing), yet nerves did not evade you. God heard your prayer, but the answer came differently.
It might sound foreign hearing God’s provision coming through an unanswered prayer, but let me explain. God’s desires for our life and those around us are not limited by our own comforts. Selfishly, I wish I was never nervous and could command an audience with my boldness and rhetoric. However, the big picture is that it’s not only about us.
There are so many moving parts in each minute we are given in this life. If I step back, I realize someone might have needed to see the rawness of my weakness. God does a lot of great work in our “hiccups”, and shortcoming: humility, genuineness and compassion just to name a few. Our prayers that go different than planned, may be the very areas that bring God glory in the future.
Humbling Moment
This is the confession of my moment.
Roll back a few months ago. I was asked to speak at a women engagement. I prayed hard that I would not be nervous. I asked friends to pray that I would not be nervous. Guess what, I was still nervous. From my end I did everything I could; I prepared, planned, and prayed. The triple “p”s. Yet God said no. My perspective shifted that day, as people still said that there was good, rich material in what I had said, and that they had been encouraged.
When the people that prayed alongside me asked me how it went, the words out of my mouth were, “I was still nervous, but I pray God uses what I said despite me.” 2 Cor. 12:9 says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Quite possibly at that moment, there was someone who needed to see my humanity, nerves and all. Although, I may prefer people to see the perfect version of my myself, perhaps having people see the rawness of our journey allows us to be more relatable. Ultimately, I knew God wanted me to glorify Him through this speech, and if the conduit that was used in that moment was my weakness… so be it.
Provisions in Disguise
We have an all powerful God, yet sometimes we grow weary of seemingly unanswered prayers; the wait has been long and the process has been grueling. In our mind, it makes no sense why these well-intended prayers have not been answered. Yet, if we step back, perhaps we will see the situation from a different lens.
Conversely, recognize that the seemingly unanswered prayers are actually God’s providential hand on the situation. What if we need to learn something in a different route than we initially desired? In the Bible, there is a strong visual of God’s overarching love when Jesus goes out of His way to meet the Samaritan woman at the well, although it was not necessarily the way they needed to go or were encouraged to travel. Yet His love for the woman persuaded Him to go a different direction.
Perhaps God’s love also takes us in different directions then we would like. The sanctification process that we go through is not a one time arrival moment, but a series of moments being refined by a God who knows us. He knows where we need to grow, what our needs are, and is tender with us through the process.
Photo Credit: Lindsay Murray
We Need Not Worry
I love Matthew 6:26, which says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” We don’t have to let our thoughts ruminate on worry; even if it doesn’t go as we planned, we can entrust the plan to a God that cares more about us, then we do about our self.
The understanding that God has the whole world in His hand, and knows our every need, whether physical, emotional, or financial is comforting. He knows the beginning, the middle and the end to our stories.
When we are walking through hard seasons, we need to remember nothing is a surprise to God. God’s goodness is even revealed through our muddled pages of our life, even if we would rather rewrite it. So we need to ask ourselves how is God providing for us in this very moment, even if it doesn’t look like provision at all?
One definition of God’s provision says, “The divine act of supplying what is necessary for the sustenance and well being of His creation, both physically and spiritually. It is rooted in the biblical understanding of God as Jehovah-Jireh (the Lord will provide) it reflects in His faithfulness, care, and sovereignty.”
God Provides
God provides. So, even if the provision comes in a different form than we would like, keep your eyes open to see those moments. You will be reminded of a God that loves you through the journey, and has the best plan for your life and those around you.
God’s provision is a gift, no matter what form it comes in. If we see all forms of provision through the eyes of love, we might start learning to appreciate even the trying seasons of life.
Who here has prayed for patience? Or avoided praying for patience… because you know patience is attained by walking through moments that you have to be patient: you find yourself waiting behind a slow driver, or perhaps your hardest patience hurdle is yourself, learning to offer yourself grace for the seemingly never ending mistakes.
The prayers for financial stability are not uncommon. Yet if you feel confident that you will receive a million dollars, you may be left empty handed. Although this is something God is able to do, He clearly does not do it every day. Our answered prayers may look more like having to work a job that wasn’t your first choice, or humbly accepting gifts from others.
The provision of peace may come through forgiving those that have mistreated you, and praying for them. We want the fruit of peace, but the journey it takes to get there can be long and painful. We need to trust God that His love can heal our broken pieces; this not in our own strength, but in God’s. This divine act of forgiveness gives us a tiny glimpse into God’s agape love, a love that far supersedes our own ability.
Be Thankful Always
God’s provision does not always come in the exact way we may think, and if we are honest with ourselves, we know this is a good thing! God will multiply our prayers for things, and include things we didn’t even know we needed. We often will have to work hard to learn things, which in the end will bring a greater appreciation for the things of value.
Be diligent to learn to be thankful in every circumstance. reminding yourself that you serve a God that is so good and faithful. He knows your exact needs even when you don’t, so hold onto the things that are true: God loves you, He is your provider, and He has abundant provision for your every need.
Luke 12:7 is a wonderful reminder, “Indeed the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Photo Credit: Lindsay Murray
What ways has God shown His provision to you in unexpected ways?
