God always provides.
“Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” And the word of the Lord came to him: “Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So, he went and did according to the word of the Lord. He went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. And after a while, the brook dried up because there was no rain in the land.” 1 Kings 17:1-7.
After Elijah predicted this great drought, the word of the Lord came to him and said, Hide yourself by the brook and drink its water. And God ordered the ravens to bring Elijah bread and meat twice a day for all the days he was hiding there. Is God a superhero who waits until the problem happens to provide the solution? No, God is a loving Father who always wants to bless His children and who always anticipates His provisions. What we need to understand is that before Elijah went to his hiding place, God had already commanded the ravens to feed him. He had the provisions in place before the need ever happened. Remember the creation? God did not place man in a desert but in a garden with everything he needed not only to survive but to thrive as well. God is interested in every part of our being: spirit, soul, and body. Just as the facets of His character are infinite, the ways He provides for us are far beyond all we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). We can trust that His kindness, guidance, and care will do more for us than we could ever do on our own. God provides a way for us to develop an obedient, intimate relationship with Him so that we can live and encourage others to live a quality of life that exemplifies Psalm 23. For those whose shepherd is the Lord can say, “I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).” Isaiah 60:22b. “Now to him who can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be that glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20, 21.
Just listen to what God is telling you and step up in faith; your provision is already waiting for you.
- Wagner DeAssis
2 Comments
It is very assuring that God is our Provider, Jehovah Jireh! He planted the garden before forming man, that is an excellent insight.
God’s provision is something I have been experiencing so close since we moved here. It reminds me of the promise made to Joshua when he took over Moses’s task to lead the Hebrews, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord is the one who goes BEFORE you” (Deut. 31:8). Again, in Psalm 139:5, we read that the Lord goes BEFORE us and AFTER us. What a wonderful assurance!