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The last three weeks, we’ve looked at God’s characteristic of provider. This characteristic is tied to many of this other characteristics, including his compassion, his generosity, and his guidance. God provides food and water to sustain life, but he also provides safety, peace, and good gifts. Most importantly, he provides for our spiritual needs through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. How appropriate to think about this now just after Good Friday and Easter.
With all these good things God provides, how should we respond? Let’s look at several passages to help us answer this question.
Matthew 6
Matthew 6:25-34: 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
God tells us that because God can be trusted to provide for us, we should not worry. We shouldn’t worry about what we will eat, what we will drink, or what we will wear. We shouldn’t worry about what might happen tomorrow. Instead, we should seek first his kingdom, and God will provide the rest.
2 Peter 1
2 Peter 1:3-8: 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Another part of our response to God’s provision is that we should strive to live a godly life. We should “make every effort” to develop godly characteristics like goodness, self-control, and love. This is part of seeking God’s kingdom first.
Luke 12
Luke 12:32-34: 32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
This passage in Luke 12 is preceded by a passage very similar to Matthew 6 above. But the passage in Luke 12 gives us some additional responses to God’s provision. Because of God’s provision, we do not need to be afraid. Instead, we can be generous, just like God is generous when he gives us good gifts.
This instruction is echoed in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11:
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Because of God’s provision, we can be generous, which ultimately leads to God being glorified.
Conclusion
Over the last four weeks, we’ve learned so much about God as a provider. We’ve learned that his provision is tied to many of his other characteristics, like his ability to hear us when we call on him, know exactly what we need, and provide enough to satisfy and sustain us. When God provides, he not only provides practical things we need for survival, like food and water, he also provides what we need for our spiritual survival. He provided his one and only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so we could have eternal life. This good gift is free to everyone. All we have to do is ask.
So how should we respond to God’s provision? We should not worry or be afraid. Instead, we should trust in him to provide for our needs. As he provides for us, we should imitate God’s provision by being generous with others. Finally, we should seek him first and strive to live a godly life. This is the highest purpose we have been given. This is what we were ultimately created for.
Premium Resources
Each individual characteristic of God study will come with two resources: a word search just for fun (including an answer key), and a list of verses for if you want to investigate that individual characteristic of God more completely.
You can access these resources by clicking here: God Is Provider Resources
Or you can download them here:
Karen, bless you! I am still learning how to do this, after decades of negative thinking and poverty. God sends the Great Teacher, Holy Spirit, Who indeed knows things I do not and gently guides me in taking small steps of action in following HIs counsel. He does not castigate or harangue or hit me with a stick. He is Comfort combined with a holy action, a new thing for me, still coming out of worry and anxiety. I am walking up the path slowly, with Holy Spirit nudging me lovingly and Papa God holding my hand when I feel afraid.
Amen! And my God will supply every need (not greeds!) of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4:19