March 4 God as Your Provider

Theme: Trusting Him to meet your needs

Job 42:10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 

Dr. Terry-Ann Robinson

Kings SDA Church

 I love to watch babies that have just discovered walking. Hesitantly, they take their first step, clutching their parent's hand. Eventually, they are confident to let go and take their first step. They quickly get into the rhythm of walking, and they are off. They move around quickly, basking in the joy of their independence. This craving for independence does not stop as we transition through life. Teenagers want their independence. Most adults work hard to become independent. 

Our society promotes self-sufficiency. We no longer need someone to take pictures - we have a selfie stick. DIY projects are a craze, with over 15,000 self-help books in publication. The reality is that being independent gives us a sense of pride and fulfillment. 

Our past experiences sometimes drive the need for independence. Some of us have been marred by people who have taken advantage of our dependence, so we develop trust issues. We struggle to rely on others for help. We fear being disappointed. We fear criticism. We fear the feeling of dependence. 

These feelings affect not only our dependence on humans but also our dependence on God. The devil tries to trick us into thinking we must "DIY" everything in our lives. He plants seeds of doubt in our minds that make us question if God can be trusted to provide for us. 

Remember Job? In a few hours, Job lost his oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, and children. When that was not enough, the devil caused him to have pain and sores all over his body. He started working on his mind by using his wife to tell him to curse God and die. He later sent Job's friends, who were not good for Job's mental health. How could he trust a God that took all he had? 

Maybe you are wondering, how can you trust a God who allowed your house to be taken? How could God allow you to lose a job? How could God allow you to lose a loved one? How could this terrible sickness be affecting you? Job's story doesn't end there, and neither does your story.

Later, we see Job, who appeared to have lost everything, praying for his friends, who appeared to have everything. God then restored Job 2 fold. What a comeback! 

We know the background of the story, but Job only knew that everything was being taken from him.  No explanation was given to Job, yet he trusted God when his life turned upside down. He trusted the God who had provided in the past to provide for him again, and he sure did. That's a God you can trust! 

In Philippians 4:19, the Bible tells us that God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. When I examine those riches, I see that there is nothing I want that he doesn't have in abundance. There is no DIY when you are God's child. The God who provided for Job is the same God who will provide for you. Just trust him. Your double portion is on the way!

Prayer

Jehovah Jirah, I come to you today confident that you know what's best for me. Help me to trust your heart even when I can't trace your hand. When I can't explain what is happening, help me to be confident that in your time, you will provide for me. There is no blessing that I need that you can't provide. I have seen you working in my life before and so I leave all my plans in your hands. Give me the strength to praise you through my waiting and to trust the plans you have for my life knowing that your timing is perfect. Amen.