Over the next three weeks I will once again be in Nigeria at West Africa Theological Seminary. As I am able I will bring you updates from the work there. However, the regular postings will again come from Jay Link at Stewardship Ministries. This recent article (in three parts) is really powerful. My prayer is that it will impact you in the same way it has me. Mark
Life as a River
God Provides!
Do you really believe it?
Part 1 - by Jay Link
"All of us are quite familiar with the epic story of Israel’s 40 year wandering in the wilderness. Recently I reread this story – particularly noticing the part where God announces how He will feed His people. I find it quite fascinating that of all the unlimited ways that God could have chosen to feed His people, He opted for such an unusual way of doing it – manna. Here is the actual account:
This is what the Lord has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you can eat. Take two quarts for each person in your tent. So that is what the Israelites did. Some gathered more, some less. They measured it into two-quart containers. Those who had gathered more didn’t have too much. Those who had gathered less didn’t have too little. They gathered as much as they could eat. Then Moses said to them, ‘No one may keep any of it until morning.’ Exodus 16:16–19
As I pondered God’s miraculous and admittedly quite bizarre mealtime plan for His people, everything about it – and I mean everything – seems to fly squarely in the face of our well-accepted American version of Christianity. My conclusions were quite sobering. But even more sobering was contemplating how this might apply to how I steward the life and resources God has entrusted to me.
Allow me to share with you the three simple, yet profound insights this story reveals in how God wants to be in relationship with His people. The first is:
Allow me to share with you the three simple, yet profound insights this story reveals in how God wants to be in relationship with His people. The first is:
God Provides ..... (Do we really believe it?)
Intellectually, we will openly acknowledge that God provides. However, far too often I fear we find ourselves casually acknowledging that God provides while we sit around with everything we think we need right at our fingertips.
However, if and when a time comes when we find ourselves running low or even worse running out of our provisions or we find our income “well” has suddenly stopped flowing, we can almost immediately find ourselves feeling anxious, stressed, worried and fearful about what is going to happen to us if we actually do run out?
I fear many of us may have unconsciously bought into the same lie my father repeatedly voiced to me growing up – that being, “God takes care of those who take care of themselves.” (Imagine my shock when I finally realized God never said this, Aesop did.) This oft repeated axiom couldn’t be further from the truth. But, tragically, for many of us, it has become our practical theology on life and provisions.
We functionally believe it is first and foremost up to us to make our way in the world. And if and when we can’t make it happen on our own, then (and often only then) will we look to God for a backup plan. This certainly was not God’s model for Israel in the wilderness. Nor does it fit the teaching of the New Testament. For the Israelites, God faithfully provided their food each day. All they had to do was just go out and pick it up.
Both Luke 12:22 and Matthew 6:25, the two great “do not worry” passages, reinforce this very same message. God will provide for you. You just seek Him and His Kingdom and He will take care of you. Peter further reinforces this security thinking in I Peter 5:7 when he reminds us, “Turn all your anxiety over to God because He cares for you.”
I think all of us would love to personally experience a miracle from God in our lives. The problem is none of us wants to be in a position to ever need one! God chose to put the children of Israel into a continual position to need and see one on a daily basis. Might this story give us insight into the position God wants to be in with all His people for all time – daily looking to Him to sustain their lives? Why do we so quickly and easily fail to trust God to lovingly and consistently provide for our needs?"
However, if and when a time comes when we find ourselves running low or even worse running out of our provisions or we find our income “well” has suddenly stopped flowing, we can almost immediately find ourselves feeling anxious, stressed, worried and fearful about what is going to happen to us if we actually do run out?
I fear many of us may have unconsciously bought into the same lie my father repeatedly voiced to me growing up – that being, “God takes care of those who take care of themselves.” (Imagine my shock when I finally realized God never said this, Aesop did.) This oft repeated axiom couldn’t be further from the truth. But, tragically, for many of us, it has become our practical theology on life and provisions.
We functionally believe it is first and foremost up to us to make our way in the world. And if and when we can’t make it happen on our own, then (and often only then) will we look to God for a backup plan. This certainly was not God’s model for Israel in the wilderness. Nor does it fit the teaching of the New Testament. For the Israelites, God faithfully provided their food each day. All they had to do was just go out and pick it up.
Both Luke 12:22 and Matthew 6:25, the two great “do not worry” passages, reinforce this very same message. God will provide for you. You just seek Him and His Kingdom and He will take care of you. Peter further reinforces this security thinking in I Peter 5:7 when he reminds us, “Turn all your anxiety over to God because He cares for you.”
I think all of us would love to personally experience a miracle from God in our lives. The problem is none of us wants to be in a position to ever need one! God chose to put the children of Israel into a continual position to need and see one on a daily basis. Might this story give us insight into the position God wants to be in with all His people for all time – daily looking to Him to sustain their lives? Why do we so quickly and easily fail to trust God to lovingly and consistently provide for our needs?"
So, do you really believe God provides?
RIVERS NOT RESERVOIRS
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236
BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com
7982 Hillcrest Trail
Jonesboro, Georgia 30236
BLOG: www.hisrivers.org
EMAIL: his.rivers@gmail.com
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