How many of you know that the Lord provides? How many of you have ever had groceries show up on your front porch? How many of you have found 5 bucks in your pants pocket when you needed just that? Escrow check anyone? Around here I call that "random money." Now, I know that God is sovereign over all, I don't want to be flippant when I call it that, but that's what it is. Just that random stuff that meets those special needs...right when we need it.
Anson and I have been studying (and really enjoying) a Bible Study called "God's Amazing Creation: Genesis 1-2" written by Kay Arthur for children. This is our second study and we have both really enjoyed the time studying together. So, we have been slowly making our way through the first chapter in Genesis. That is creation. The other day I had an AHA moment. When we wrote the days down in his "field journal" I saw the days laid out so logically. Then the questions that were asked, 1. Do you see a design to God's creation? 2. Did God create the world and the things in it in a logical way? 3. Is there order in God's creation? Those questions caused a light to go off in my head and a truth to descend on my heart. This may be elementary to some of you...it is elementary, but this was huge to me. God didn't create anything until He had provided for it. The heavens were created before the sun, moon and stars. The seas and the land were created before the fish and the land animals. There were plants and animals and air and water...sunshine...THEN He created man. Do you see that? Before we were even CREATED we were PROVIDED for. Every need was met before man ever came to be.
The truth that descended upon my heart was that God is not going to provide...HE HAS PROVIDED. Now, we see him provide (present tense) because that is how we live, but God is not bound by time and He goes before us. Even when Jesus left He told the people that He was going to go before them (us) and prepare a place for them (us). God is proactive. In my pea brain I have believed Him to be shocked by my needs and maybe even caught off guard. "Oh no...Ali needs size 6's for Anson! How did I miss that. Man is that boy growing like a weed! Julia wants a dress to spin? Ella has wide feet and needs church shoes? I better get busy!" Not anymore...I do not believe that. My God is a great God. He is adequate, sufficient, all-knowing and all-powerful. My needs do not go unknown, as petty as I think they are.
So, tonight it was time to pull the clothes out of attic and sort through them to prepare the great switch! We have two seasons here, HOT and cool, but I still have to pull clothes down. Let me tell you what...I'm always shocked. Why is that? We always have what we need and there are always at least 2 dresses that I would have never been able to afford...in perfect condition. God knows my heart. I have beautiful girls and I love to see them in beautiful dresses. He is so good.
I can trust God as my provider because from the very beginning that is what He was. Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. The God who was and is and is to come. So, that was my AHA. I pray that it will meet you where you are, that you will be able to trust the good hand of your good Father. It may not always be in the manner you think it will come, but I think all of us can look back over the course of our lives and name many situations when we had no idea how certain needs would be met, yet we have great testimonies of God's faithfulness. I would love to hear your stories...and we'll magnify God together.
5 comments:
Excellent post Ali!
Great post. Really spoke to me where I am.
When we found out we were pregnant with Corben we weren't sure how we were going to care for him. A baby wasn't in our "plan" right that second. So we knew God was going to have to provide, because at that moment we couldn't. I was several months pregnant and the family that lived next to us was moving out of their apartment (they didn't live here long so we so we never met) He knocked on our door and asked us if we wanted some things that they couldn't fit in their car to take with them. They gave us food, several bottles of baby laundry detergent and diapers. That is just one example of how God provided for us - sometimes in crazy ways. God is so good.
Oh Ali. This post is so TIMELY! I am sure lots of folks are worried about the economy and such. You are so right on! God provides and has always done so.
A quick story to share: When Ed was a young Christian, he was driving to a camp down a secondary road. His car broke down not too far from his destination. He began walking. He walked and walked in the heat with sweat pouring off of him. He muttered a short prayer, "God, I sure could use a towel right now." And believe it or not, not far from where he prayed that short prayer, he looked up and saw a TOWEL! It wasn't dirty, torn or used. It was a perfectly clean towel hanging from a tree limb! Isn't God amazing?
hey Ali- I did enjoy camping and Brin was great. We did have to keep her buckled in stroller when near fire, but after she was really sleepy, we laid her down on pallet in tent and she was out, all night) The kids really enjoyed it, so we will go again. We had bathrooms, too, so it wasn't too primitive! oh, and love this post, i didn't comment b/c I literally have so many situations that I KNOW the Lord has provided for me that I don't know where to begin! Currently, I realzied I needed some more winter clothes for Natalia, and the friend we were camping with said, come over and have all our shoes, clothes from last year b/c we've been blessed and I want to share and bless others too! That happens so much I am not even shocked anymore, I just say a prayer of thanks. I believe He meets our spiritual, temporal, emotional needs b/c He loves us so much and cares for our welfare.
I have been overwhelmed before, like you said, when I realize the abundance of really nice handed down clothes that are given to us. I put up the things that don't fit and then when I start to worry about the new things that are needed, I remember the stored items and always, ALWAYS, there is more than enough. I love to pass on clothes for this very reason. God provides, lots of times, through His people. We just have to be willing to share what we have and to step in when we see a need.
Post a Comment