He Will Provide for Your Daily Needs
Philippians 4:19: And my God WILL supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
In 1990, when Mac and I first got married, we moved to Little Rock Arkansas so he could start his first year in a 5 year orthopedic residency program. Residents are paid very little, and during that time we had two children and also experienced two miscarriages which incurred medical bills. Needless to say, every month was a stretch for us financially. One day, I remember reaching into my pocket of a pair blue jeans that I hadn't worn in a while, and was surprised to pull out three dollars. It wasn't much, but on that particular day, it meant much! The Lord was letting me know, one more time, that He knew our situation, He cared about us, and that He would provide, His time, His way.
Fast forward to 2017--by this time, our four kids had grown up and "left the nest". (Well, sorta, they tend to fly back!). Mac and I decided it was time to downsize. We needed to get out from underneath the physical and financial weight of maintenance and upkeep of our house and land. We waited for a buyer for 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, a year, a year and a half, and then around the two year mark...the Lord provided a buyer. During that time of waiting, He provided in other ways:
--The Lord provided Mac and me with a stronger dependence on Him in our individual faith walks.
--The Lord provided us with a stronger relationship with each other as we prayed together almost daily over the house (and many other things).
--The Lord provided, with His gentle grooming, the fruit of the spirit patience in both of us.
I am certain that Mac and I would not have received any of these spiritual blessings if we had sold our house within the first few months. These kinds of provisions are the "glorious riches in Christ Jesus" that are priceless, and we didn't even know we needed them! He is faithful in all His ways--in sweet surprises like $3 in a blue jean pocket, as well as in the gift of a long wait of a house sale.
One way or another, God provides. In our readings today, we see Him provide manna for His people every morning. Also, we see that He daily provided meat and bread to Elijah through the ravens flight. God is so creative! Do you have any amazing provision stories to share with us? Please do.
God's main ambition is to provide for our needs in a way that grows us closest to Him. He provides us with what is best for us in the moment. He will do it because He said so.
FURTHER: Exodus 16:11-21; 1 Kings 17:1-16; Matthew 6:11
Dear Lord,
First of all, thank you for not always giving us what we want; our hearts can become too full of self and our minds can become too void of wisdom. You are not a "genie in a bottle"; rather, You are Jehovah Jireh, the One Who Provides. Thank You for always giving us what we need. Please Lord, in Your abundant faithfulness, I ask You to creatively provide for every single need of each Soul Sister today--whether it's a physical or spiritual blessing. We praise you for both. We look to You, the Giving God, the Faithful God, the Good, Good Father. In Jesus' name. Amen.
