Thankful for His Provision
Thursday, November 5, 2009
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."
Matthew 6:25-32
God's provisions will come in God's time.
Samuel Wesley, pastor of a church in England, was the father of John and Charles Wesley, two of the most well-known of preachers and hymn-writers during their time. The story is told of a time when Samuel Wesley faced severe criticism for his work. There was said to be many who opposed Wesley, even those within his congregation. One night in winter, someone set fire to his home, not realizing that little John was inside the building at the time. Playing upstairs, the six year old boy soon became trapped by the fire's flames. Two of the Wesley's neighbors rescued John minutes before the building was consumed and their entire family was saved. While many people would have sat in despair, watching their place of refuge burn, Samuel gathered his family and friends and said, "Come, neighbors, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God. He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go. I am rich enough."
Samuel Wesley was content in knowing that even though his home and all the possessions he had were gone, he still had his family. Not one of his children had been hurt, and to him, that was better than having a home.
How quickly do we forget God's blessings when catastrophe strikes? When we lose our jobs, do we thank God for a loving family? When we lose our health, do we thank God for the comfort of His Word? When we lose a loved one to sin, do we thank God for His forgiveness? Sadly, our eyes can often focus on the trials of life rather than on God's blessings in life.
Matthew 6 shows us Christ's words regarding provisions for His children. Jesus' simple answer was, "If I care for the smallest of birds, don't you think I will care for you?" Jesus tells us not to worry about what will come tomorrow or how we will get through a difficult time. He has promised to provide for our every need.
Many Christians fail to trust God for provision because they cannot see Him working. As human beings, we like to have a plan, a chartered course that we can see. We like to know ahead of time how things will work out, and what will happen. For example, how many of us often peak to the end of a captivating book? We like to know the ending.
But when it comes to daily provisions, God often requires us to trust Him without knowing how He will work things out. He requires us to place our faith in Him alone for provision.
Do you have some need that must be met? Are you stuck worrying about how things will work out? Don't bother worrying; God already has a plan! Take time to give God your worries, and allow Him to take care of your provisions. Remember Jesus' words, "for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Thank God that He knows our needs and promises to provide for them in His time. And like Samuel Wesley, remember that the most important things in life often aren't things.
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