God's Provisions

There is something I just do not understand. I often hear people complain about not having money and then they prove that they clearly have money by whipping out a fancy cell phone, talking about the latest cable tv shows, going out to eat, or puffing away on a cigarette. Have we lost the ability to see what “not having money” really means?

When the Lord promised to care for us, I can promise you he didn’t promise cigarette money. He didn’t promise the latest fashions, the newest cars, or any other thing that we feel entitled to. Rather he promised to care for our necessities: food, water, shelter. If you have those things, you ARE provided for.

He also may not provide in the ways which you expect. He may provide you with shelter by giving you a willing relative to allow you into their home. Or he may provide you with food by having loving people provide soup kitchens and such to fulfill your needs. We need to stop thinking that God’s provisions will come in the way we want them to come. We need to stop thinking we deserve to be comfortable.

There is a problem I see in the developed world: we believe we are entitled to things, and that we deserve a good, comfortable, independent life. We believe we are entitled to a house with a yard, a good paying job, a good education, the best food, fashionable clothes, nice haircuts, cars, painted nails, cushy jobs that include no manual labor, healthcare, free time with friends, etc.. We believe we deserve the ability to follow our dreams even if it doesn’t mean making money (but we still expect everything “the comfortable life” includes despite this).

My mom told me this morning how her dad used to work 3 jobs to support his 6 children. 1 full-time job, a night job, and a weekend job. They never had a lot of money (they ate oatmeal EVERY morning for breakfast without fail), but they made ends meet because of his hard work. I look around today and see people who are griping because God hasn’t provided them with “the good life”.

But let us remember, God promised us this world and this life would be filled with hardship. We will struggle. God’s punishment to Adam in the Garden of Eden involved hard work to make a living. The world and the ground will struggle against us, and we will have to work hard to make ends meet.

But God is a good God, and he is generous. But I believe that when he sees his people squandering his provisions and then wondering why they have nothing and complaining about it, it breaks his heart. He promised us provisions: food, water, shelter. He did NOT promise a comfortable life.

And let us also remember that God gave us the riches of eternal life in his kingdom and a close relationship with him should we ask him to save us from our sins. He didn’t promise us a comfortable life, but he promised to walk alongside us and comfort us through the tough times.