The God Who Provides
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Phil 4:19
God has been called many things in the eternity of His existence. Almost all of these names correspond to an attribute that he was displaying at the time. Hundreds of them poured out in the pages of Scripture to sing praises to his infinite glory. Perhaps none speak to the sufficiency of God as Jehovah-Jireh, the God who Provides.
Does God provide or hinder?
Its easy in our lives to fall into the fallacy that all the good things in our life are because of our hard work and effort, but any bad outcomes are the product of outside forces beyond our control. Because of this fallacy we can often begin to see god as an antagonist who should have stopped all the evil in the world from coming to our doorstep, but deserving of no credit when the evil is stopped. Many of us ultimately believe that we provide for ourselves, and God is just there to get in our way.
Scripture, however has a different interpretation of our relationship to God. According to the Bible it is God who is responsible for all the good that is in the world and our lives. He has provided us with “every good and perfect gift” (James 1:17). Evil according to scripture is of our own making. From the garden all the way to the cross and onward, we have allowed ourselves to be “dragged away by our own evil desire” (James 1:14), and have blamed God each time the consequences of our actions have arrived.
So what does scripture tell us God provides?
God Provides Us With Enjoyment
“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,” - 1Tim 6:17-18
Paul in this passage is giving godly advice to his student Timothy finishing out a book of training Him how to rightly teach and grow the church he was leading. As Paul is closing out the letter he gives Timothy advice on how to encourage those who are wealthy in the congregation. His advice is to remind them of the fleeting nature of wealth and prosperity, as well as, to set their sites on where true joy and fulfillment come from in Christ.
Here Paul makes clear that all joy and enjoyment come from our father in heaven. He provides this joy not as a miser pinching every penny but richly provides joy to us thinking nothing of his generosity. As Christians we have been given a gift by God to enjoy all that life has to offer us as we follow in His commands. Everything that brings true joy and happiness has been provided to us without restriction.
Some may say, however that many things have been kept from us as believers that the world finds enjoyable. It is true that many things the world would say bring great joy are restricted from us as believers, however, a thorough reading of the Word, as well as, a discerning eye on those who are indulging will show the truth. Truth is that many things that the world has called good will only bring sorrow and pain when they are fully grown. “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:15)
God Provides Us With Our Physical Needs
“I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” - Ex 16:4
What does it mean that God will provide for our physical needs? Does it mean that we wont ever go hungry or that no Christian will ever starve to death? Does it mean that true Christians will always have a home and car?
Often it is hard to justify the idea that God will provide all our needs. However, when we begin this discussion it is important to distinguish between needs and wants. Despite most peoples protests when you make this point the needs of people have never changed in all of human history. From the beginning of time right through till now our needs are the same. We need, food to keep us healthy and energized, shelter to keep us protected and secure, and companionship to keep us sane and civilized. Everything else we can add, and all the modern conveniences of life are just gravy.
Once we get that straight then we have to ask does God truly provide all our needs?
A great example of God supplying needs is found in the book of Exodus as the people of God are wandering in the desert. They cry out to God to provide them with food and He hears them and provides “bread from heaven” or manna every day. Forty years the children of Israel wandered around in the desert and all that time God provided for them daily.
Why then do we not always see God providing in our own lives?
First, and probably most important is that if we look over the course of our whole lives with a discerning eye we would see a huge trail of Gods provision not only with our needs, but also with our desires as well. Often we don’t see God move because we simply are not looking. Second, however, is that most of us have simply decided in our hearts that we don’t need God to provide. Without really thinking about it or considering the implication we have told God to sit back and watch as we attempt to provide fully for ourselves. Worse yet many of us have replaced a God who can provide for a faith in a government or service that cannot possibly be all we need.
Again this story of the Israelis is important because God provided daily for the needs of his people, however he asked that they not pick up more than they need for the day so that he could provide again tomorrow. Many of us have simply traded the promise of daily provision for the “guarantee” of built up provision.
God Provides Us With Our Spiritual Needs
“Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.” Gen 22:8
Scripture is clear, we simply cannot come to God or worship Him unless He first calls and draws us to Him. Every spiritual need we have is provided by God and is fulfilled in God. Without Gods desire for a relationship with each and every one of us we would be no better off than the fallen angels who sided with Satan rather that with God.
How does God provide our spiritual needs?
First, God provides each of us with the faith we need to follow Him. It is clear in scripture multiple places that God has allotted each of us a measure of faith, ”each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Rom 12:3b). Understanding this it is only by God’s grace and mercy that we even have the ability to trust in Him. All of us are called to use the faith provided by God to follow after Him.
Second, God provides the sacrifices that we need to give in order to worship him. Abraham is a great example of this as he walks with his son Issac up to the mountaintop to sacrifice to God he tells Issac that God will provide. Each of us likewise are called to sacrifice to God through our giving back to Him. The beauty of this system is that we can only sacrifice what we have because God has provided it to us first. When we refuse to tithe to God we are showing Him not only disobedience, but also a lack of thankfulness for his provision.
Finally, as all of us believers understand God provides us with salvation. Much like Issac in the story of Abraham sacrificing on the mountain, our very lives are the required cost of our sin. We are marching toward a conclusion that ends with us not just dead but in eternal torment because our lack of a pure sacrifice. That is when God stepped in an provided a lamb, his own son, to take our place as a sacrifice and give us salvation through his death. The provision of of our very future is given to us by God.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” - Heb 12:1-3
