Ten Things to Be Thankful For, Day 10: God’s Provision
Think back to when you were a kid. What was that food that you absolutely despised eating? That food that, if given the choice to eat or go hungry, made going hungry seem like the better option. For me it was red beets. I don’t know how they kept ending up on our dinner table when I was growing up but they did, and every time they did, I was expected to eat some even though we all knew my feelings towards them.
Here is a question for you: Even though they weren’t my choice of vegetable, shouldn’t I have still been thankful for them? I haven’t met a kid yet that would thank God in prayer for red beets. However, even if I don’t like the food, shouldn’t I still be thankful that I have food?
There is a line in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9 – 13) that says, “Give us today our daily bread.” While that line does pertain to food, it’s about so much more than food — It’s about God supplying what we need. It’s about asking God to give us what we need to get through another day. However, in that prayer lies the understanding that God’s provision will be enough.
Consider Matthew 6:31 – 34. In these verses, Jesus says, “And Father knows you need them all,” referring to provisional things like food and clothing. Because He knows what we need, we shouldn’t worry about them. Instead, worry about seeking the Kingdom of God and He will provide for our needs.
This, of course, is not the easiest thing to do. I think of Moses in Exodus 4, when he is having a conversation with God, asking for God to send someone else to speak to Pharaoh. God says in Verses 11 and 12, “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.’” That wasn’t exactly the provision Moses was hoping for. God said He would go with Moses, and Moses said, “Please send someone else.” God did not send someone else; He did send Aaron with Moses, but it was still with Moses that God communicated.
Sometimes, God provides for our needs in a way that seems insufficient to us. There have been times when I found myself like Moses saying, “You got the wrong guy.” There have been times when I looked at God’s provision and said, “Can I have a little more?” Going back to my last devotional, I have noticed that when I have the proper perspective, I find that God’s provision is more than enough. I’ve noticed that when I’m focusing on seeking after the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and not my own desires, God’s provision no longer seems lacking but is abundant.
2020 has left us feeling a bit cheated out of many of the things we were looking forward to this year. However, that doesn’t mean God did not provide and provide abundantly. His provision may not have been in the manner we were hoping for, but I assure you His provision was still good!
Adam Deering