God's Provision

In the fall of 2009 I started working for myself. No salary guarantee. No regular paycheck. And it was in the depth of the recession. Scary times. But here we are in 2015 and I am alive. God provided. I am still married and we have money in the bank. We pay out of state tuition to one of America's best universities. We are not "rich" by American standards but we are ba-zillonaires by the standards of most of the world. Since only 10% of the world's population own a car and we have uh, several....yeah, we are ba-zillionaires.

During these times of uncertainty I had to rely on God a LOT. I studied the scriptures to claim God's promises of provision.


As I read this week's reading in The Story of God's provision to Elijah I thought again about how God's provides:


Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” So he did what the L ORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.


For three years, God provided water through a brook in a drought and birds brought bread & meat to the prophet. Sounds crazy huh? No wonder people question the Bible-- ravens bringing a man meat and bread for three years. Would you want to eat something brought to you by big black birds? Probably....if you were hungry enough!


Do you ever question whether God has the ability to provide for you? Read the Bible! He provides:


“But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and cook that ‘last meal,’ but bake me a little loaf of bread first. Afterward there will still be enough food for you and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be plenty of flour and oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!” So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days. For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.”

“Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly forsaken, nor seen their children begging for bread.”


“When they got there, they saw that a charcoal fire was burning and fish were frying over it, and there was bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. And no one dared ask him if he really was the Lord because they were sure of it. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish.”


“Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.””


““So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”


“If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”


““What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget a single one of them. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him than a whole flock of sparrows.”


“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.” For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God.”


“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”


“Then he told the people to sit down on the grass. And he took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and asked God’s blessing on the food. Breaking the loaves into pieces, he gave some of the bread and fish to each disciple, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves, in addition to all the women and children!”


Jehovah Jireh-- God Provides.

1 Kings 17:13-16; Psalms 37:25; John 21:9-13; Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 6:31-33; 7:11; Luke 12:6, 7; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11; Philippians 4:19; Matthew 14:19-21, NLT.