The Blessing of Provision

Hard things, Lord, we know that you provide everything we need more than that. Includes the support of friends and family. When we need it the most and Lord, I pray that you will be with Lexie and her family as they lost her dad this week and Lord with the Ralph's family with the passing of Marcille. Lord shiva's truly a pillar in their family and Lord we pray that you'll be with them in this time of grief. And Lord, we also celebrate New Life, and we're thankful for that and thankful for you being with Jaylin through the C-section Norton that she and baby are doing well and Lord, we just pray for everyone else. That's dealing with different Health ailments and issues sword. That They will rely on your grace and your peace. And when we pray this all in your name, amen.

You know, there's a reason why one of the most well-known prayers of all time. Includes the phrase. Give us this day, our daily bread. You know, it's a simple line but it holds so much. Meaning, you know, why Jesus was trying to teach his disciples to pray, you know, he wanted to remind him and quite frankly us that God is the provider of everything we need.

You know, from our basic daily Necessities to our deepest spiritual and emotional needs. It is God who ultimately provides those things for us? So today as we continue on in our series about counting Every Blessing we're going to reflect on the idea of the blessing of provision. You're God's faithfulness and providing for us is something that we shouldn't take for granted. You know, it's doesn't matter whether he is providing for us physically emotionally or spiritually. In any need that we have, we can be sure that God sees it and God is at work even when we don't realize it. Yeah, the key to living in this truth is Trust. Trust in his goodness and in his care. And another key is contentment. I think that's the one we struggle with the most, and it's knowing that his provision whatever God has provided Whenever, However, that that is, he now And it will suffice.

And you know I keep point to that is we have to understand that God knows our needs and provides for them. Now noticed one of the key words in there is needs. Not necessarily our once, but our needs. You know, in Jesus taught us to trust in God, to take care of our daily needs. And one of the key scriptures. Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 through 34, you know, Jesus speaks to the worries that so often plagued our hearts and Minds. He says, 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. 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 viable than they can? Anyone of You by worrying? Add a single hour to your life. And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow? They do not labor or spin, did I tell you that? Not even Solomon in all of his Splendor was dressed? Like one of these. If that is, how God clothe 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? So, do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear for pagans run after? All these things in your heavenly father knows that you need them. But seek first, his kingdom, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own you know, these versus remind us of a very foundational truth and that is that God knows our needs before we even ask He knows the things that we really need. But you know, it's so easy to get caught up in anxiety, over our circumstances. You know what? We have enough to make ends meet this month. Will we be able to face the challenges that we know are ahead? Is maybe we start out a new Endeavor, start a new job.

So sometimes I think when you hear this passage, you can be like, how does that apply? You know, Jesus points us to the birds and the flowers. But the genius behind that is, what Jesus is pointing us to is creatures with no ability to store up or to plan for the future. They can't, they can't impact that in any way, yet. They are completely provided for their completely looked after He goes on to add in there. How much more will God? Who loves us? Dearly take care of us. If he looks after the birds, if he closed the grass beautifully, will he not care? Much more for us? No worrying about something is not only unproductive but it's also a sign that we don't really trust God to provide what we need.

We have to realize that worrying in the present, steals our peace in the future. It takes it away from us in Philippians, 4:19, Paul Reiser. She reassures the church by saying and my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

you know, it is never a question of whether or not God will provide It's a question of. Do you trust him? To provide. And when you're trusting him to provide, do you trust that whatever it is he provides. And however he provides it and whatever the amount is, or whatever that it is going to be sufficient to meet your need.

I think so often the problem is not that we doubt God's ability but that we sometimes fail to see the bigger picture of his provision.

You know, that's because sometimes when God provides for an ID, he doesn't necessarily provide in the way that we were thinking that need needed to be met yet. Doesn't quite look what we how we expected it to. But trust comes and knowing that, whatever is provided is exactly what we needed. And like I said, God knows our needs before we even ask, he knows what we really need.

But, you know, I think most of us, if we honestly sat and looked back over our lives, we can see how God has been faithful time. And again, You know, I was I was thinking about preparing for this, you know, an easy example for me to think of of God's provision time and again in my life has been all the different heart surgeries I've went through. Time. And again, I have went through those God has provided what I've needed and I've come through those very easily.

Yeah, that's why I don't get scared or nervous. If I go down there and they tell me hey you need to have another surgery. I know my wife wishes I would be a little more nervous, sometimes are a little more scared about it but I've seen God be so faithful in the past and what is provided and what he's done that, I don't have to worry about it. And I really don't. Yeah, it's why I'm able to stay so calm when it's happening, you know, always laugh about now they're all getting old enough, they aren't there but I believe it was my second or third surgery that actually talk to heart surgeon into. Hey I would like to see the things you used to do the surgery so he's like okay so I walked back to the operating room, he showed me the various instruments, they would use Then I hopped on the operating table and they did my surgery. the nurses told me that was a first for any of them but you know, I could only do something like that because

I wasn't worried about it cuz I trusted God in that situation that whatever happened would be what's supposed to happen. So the me know, God is always been faithful in the past and he will remain faithful in the future. He will remain faithful forever. We need to remember that when we are in the midst of Ares situations, You or I could even talk about the path that God let us on to come to this church. Not an easy path by any means, not a path we would ever want. A repeat, definitely didn't look like what we wanted or how we would have it happened, but things did and it let us home. And I think about the probably, especially this last week is, we had our first grandchild that if that hadn't happened, a lot of the blessings where is experiencing now in life. Wouldn't be happening if we hadn't traveled that difficult road, that took us down a path. We didn't want to go down. But let us to where we needed to be.

And, you know, I just hope this week as we approach Thanksgiving that all of you can take some time to reflect on your own life. You know, think of times when God is provided and unexpected ways, Or even when he is provided exactly what you need through someone else. You God's care for us extends, far beyond material things. It's about our spiritual emotional and relational needs to. Now, he's a good father, who knows exactly what we need and because of this reality, we can learn to be content, no matter what our circumstances are, because we trust that God is going to provide what we need.

but, you know, living with contentment, your recognizing that God has already provided

You know. I'm trying to remember exactly who it was, but I know it was one of my professors and Seminary, shared that. That's the thing. We struggle with about contentment and living with contentment means that we understand that before the need even arises in our life. Our God, who is omnipotent? Who knows everything has already provided for that neat. The problem is, we often just fail to see it. And you know, in today's world so often. When we think a provision we think of material needs, right? Because we're always bombarded by all these things that tell us, we need more, we need more money, we need more success, we need more of everything.

But contentment is about realizing that we already have enough because as long as we have God, God Is Enough, what else could we need? Paul writes in Philippians chapter 4, verses 12 and 13. I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have. Plenty have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry whether living in plenty or in want I can do all things. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Your contentment doesn't come from having everything we want. True contentment comes from trusting in God's provision and being at peace with what he has already provided. The trust issue.

And this is a crucial point, we'll actually it is. The main point of today is that Often we are so focused on what we lack that we fail to see how much we already have.

That's a huge thing. We understand that and when we focus on what we don't have or what we lack, we lose the ability to live. With an attitude of gratitude. You can't be living in gratitude if you're always just thinking about what you don't have.

But when we learn to trust in God's provision, we can live contempt by his grace and his grace as we open our hearts, to receive the blessings and understand that. A blessing doesn't mean it's always something off our want list or comes exactly the way we want it or exactly how we think I should come. But you know, that God has provided for that need in one way or another.

Because true contentment is about much more than our material needs.

You know a much bigger need that. We have our our spiritual needs, our emotional needs and God provides for all of those things.

and I think the reason sometimes we feel like he may not be providing those things is because we're doing what I just talked about, we're focusing on what we don't have instead of what we do have cuz if we have Christ, we have enough. I mean do we trust that? God is enough for us? You know, even when life doesn't go according to our plan, are we okay? Because we know we still have Jesus, do we understand that he provides everything we need? He should be the foundation. Are we satisfied satisfied in Christ, in Christ alone? Or are we constantly striving for more? Because unfortunately, what we're usually striving for isn't more of Jesus. We're striving for more stuff, more things off our want list. Your contentment is the key to living free from the grip of worried and comparison. You know, being worried about what others might think of something or thinking while they have more than I do. It's about recognizing that in Christ. We already have everything. We need that. Is the true key to contentment?

And it all comes down to you. No trusting God's faithfulness in the future.

You know, can we trust that? Okay. Yeah. God showed up and he helped me with that in the past. But is he going to do it this next time? Now that can be a question in her mind. You know, as we think about the future, do we get anxiety over how things are going to go or how things are going to work out? Because we just don't know, you know, we might think. Yeah, sure God provided in the past. Yeah, he's providing for me right now. But is he going to continue to?

Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34 that I read earlier are as relevant today as they were then. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow. Will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I think we've all lived enough life to understand what it means. When it says each day has enough trouble of its own. We don't need to add anything to it about worrying about 2 weeks from now or 3 weeks from now today is got enough for us to deal with, but our tendency is to look ahead with anxiety. to look ahead and wonder how things will work out, whether we'll have enough and what challenges might come if we pursue this certain thing, But Jesus invites us to live with him in the present. Trusting that God will continue to provide doesn't mean that we don't make plans. It doesn't mean that we don't set goals.

but we trust that God is going to continue to provide Is if you can look forward at those plans confidently, trusting, that God is going to provide. And to lead, you will approach those plans. Much differently than if you're worried about how you were going to make it all work.

Like I said, you know, trusting God for tomorrow, doesn't mean you don't plan or work hard, but it means that we leave the future in his hands.

Your God's faithfulness is not a one-time thing. It is an ongoing recurring thing.

We need to be mindful of the fact that he has provided. In the past, he is providing now and he will provide in the future. We don't need to fear the unknown because God already knows. Give me think about that. You know, the unknown is often what we have anxiety about, right? All the questions. We don't know to ask. That doesn't happen with God. God already knows he knows every outcome. He knows every decision you're going to make, he knows how it's all going to work out and the truth is, he's already provided for that to work out. You just have to remain faithful and Trust. In his provision.

Your God has promised to meet all of our needs according to the riches of his glory.

And I'll remind you again of what I said, you know, worrying in the presents deals. Are peace in the future. So this week, I want to encourage us to try to put this into practice, you know, when we start to worry about some future thing whether it's Financial concerns health issues or anything else. Pause and remember God's faithfulness. Instead of worrying pray. Instead of stressing Trust? God has been faithful before and he will be faithful again. In fact, he will be faithful forever.

As we reflect on the blessing of God's provision, we are reminded that he knows our needs before we even ask, you know, that he calls us to live with contentment for what he has already provided and we can trust him with our future. But remember God's provision isn't just about our material physical needs in our lives.

He is looking out for us, emotionally spiritually, relationally, with others. He is a faithful father who Delights and meeting the needs of his children. Something important to remember something to give, thanks for this week. I want to leave you with the three points of application for this. First one is practice gratitude for what God has already provided. you know, there may not be exactly what you want, but be happy for what you have and understand that as long as you have One Good Friend, your family and Jesus you have everything you need. You'll spend time each day. Expressing that thankfulness for those things. Cuz that'll help you to cultivate contentment. you know, whenever you find yourself focusing on what you don't have,

spend some time thinking for God, for what you do have Spend some time thinking about how God has given you. This ability to be able to be able to eat meet the needs of some other people. You know, sometimes that's the greatest blessing. There is, God gives you the ability to meet the needs that someone else has. That helps to cultivate contentment with what you have. The last one is just trust God with your future. when you start to worry about this or that or how it's all going to work out or You know. Instead of worrying turn those things in the prayers prayers to God, to ask for his help to trust him in the midst of whatever that situation may be and never surrender to the worry, never let worry steal your peace. That is, the future is a peace that God has guaranteed you.

You know, it is that peace that transcends all understanding and that is what God's talking about, you know, it can only come when we fully trust him. Let's pray.

Heavenly Father, we give thanks for your faithful provision. Knowing that you care, Lord for all of our needs, both great and small Lord help us to trust in your goodness and to live with contentment always mindful of your abundant grace in our lives. We pray this. All in your most holy name. Amen.