Trust #5

Week 5 — Breaking the Scarcity StoryPrimary Focus

Trusting God enough to obey Him when what we have does not seem sufficient for what is ahead.

Big Idea

Scarcity is not simply having limited resources. Scarcity becomes spiritually dangerous when fear of not having enough begins controlling our obedience.

Central Question

When I cannot see enough for tomorrow, can I still trust God enough to obey Him today?

Opening — Having Less Is Not the Same as Living in Scarcity

We need to make an important distinction from the beginning. There are people who genuinely do not have enough. Someone can lose a job, experience illness, face an unexpected expense, or live through circumstances completely outside their control. Having limited resources is not evidence of weak faith.

In fact, someone can have very little and trust God deeply, while someone else can have more than they will ever need and still live terrified of losing it.

Scarcity gets deeper when fear starts making our decisions for us. We start thinking, I need to hold on to this paycheck. I need to protect what little savings I have. I cannot risk my comfort. I cannot change my plans. I cannot take that step of obedience until I know I am going to be okay.

Scarcity says, “There may not be enough.” Fear adds, “So everything depends on me.”

God doesn’t want us to start pretending the need is unreal, we are not going down that false doctrine today. We need to recognize whether the need has become greater in our minds than the God we trust.

Movement One — Fear Can Change the Story We Tell Ourselves

Exodus 16:1–3 NLT

1 Then the whole community of Israel set out from Elim and journeyed into the wilderness of Sin, between Elim and Mount Sinai. They arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month, one month after leaving the land of Egypt. 2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

Israel had experienced an incredible deliverance from Egypt, but now they were in the wilderness and food was becoming a real concern. As fear grew, they began looking backward and remembering Egypt as though slavery had somehow been better than uncertainty. Their present need became so large that it distorted the way they remembered what God had already brought them through.

Exodus 16:2–3 NLT

2 There, too, the whole community of Israel complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 “If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt,” they moaned. “There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death.”

They were not imagining the problem—they really needed food. But fear took hold of a legitimate need and began convincing them that God had brought them this far only to abandon them.

Fear can make bondage look safer than dependence.

Then your movement declaration:

We need to see that an uncertain future does not erase a faithful past.

Israel is in the wilderness, and their concern is not imaginary. Food is a real need, and the wilderness does not naturally look like a place capable of sustaining a nation.

But fear begins changing the way they interpret their story. Egypt—the place where they had been enslaved—starts looking better because at least Egypt felt predictable. Their uncertainty about tomorrow becomes so large that they begin questioning what God has already done.

That is one of the dangers of scarcity thinking. Fear can cause us to remember the past inaccurately, interpret the present negatively, and assume the worst about the future.

Fear can make bondage look safer than dependence.

We can know God has been faithful and still reach a moment where the uncertainty in front of us begins speaking louder than His faithfulness behind us.

The answer is not denying the wilderness. Israel really was in the wilderness. The answer is remembering who brought them there and refusing to rewrite God's character because the next provision is not yet visible.

Movement Declaration

An uncertain future does not erase a faithful past.

Movement Two — God Teaches His People Daily Dependence

Exodus 16:4, 13–18

Exodus 16:4 NLT

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.

Exodus 16:13–18 NLT

13 That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was. And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.” 17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.

Exodus 16:4, 13–18

Exodus 16:4

4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions.

God answered their fear with provision. Each morning He supplied manna, and the people were instructed to gather what they needed. Some gathered more and some less, but when it was measured, everyone had enough.

Exodus 16:17–18 NLT

17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.

God was not simply putting food on the ground; He was teaching His people that they could depend upon Him day after day.

He could have given them years of provision all at once, but instead He created a rhythm where they had to wake up and trust Him again. The provision met the need, but it also formed their faith.

The Father does not simply provide what I need; He teaches me to trust the One who provides it.

God responds by providing manna. What is especially important is how He provides it.

He does not immediately give Israel warehouses filled with enough food to make dependence unnecessary. He gives them what they need and teaches them to gather according to His instruction.

The provision becomes part of their formation.

God is not merely feeding Israel. He is teaching Israel how to trust Him.

Sometimes God's provision does not remove our dependence on Him; sometimes His provision is designed to deepen it.

That challenges our normal definition of provision. We often want provision to mean having enough stored away that we no longer have to wonder about tomorrow.

God certainly allows seasons of abundance, and Scripture commends wise preparation. But security was never supposed to come from reaching a point where we no longer need Him.

Israel had to wake up and discover again that God was faithful.

There is something powerful about learning that yesterday's provision came from God, today's provision comes from God, and tomorrow's provision will still depend upon God.

Movement Three — There Is a Difference Between Planning and Hoarding

Exodus 16:19–30 NLT

19 Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” 20 But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them. 21 After this the people gathered the food morning by morning, each family according to its need. And as the sun became hot, the flakes they had not picked up melted and disappeared. 22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” 24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor. 25 Moses said, “Eat this food today, for today is a Sabbath day dedicated to the Lord. There will be no food on the ground today. 26 You may gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. There will be no food on the ground that day.” 27 Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food. 28 The Lord asked Moses, “How long will these people refuse to obey my commands and instructions? 29 They must realize that the Sabbath is the Lord’s gift to you. That is why he gives you a two-day supply on the sixth day, so there will be enough for two days. On the Sabbath day you must each stay in your place. Do not go out to pick up food on the seventh day.” 30 So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.

Exodus 16:19–20

Exodus 16:19–20 NLT

19 Then Moses told them, “Do not keep any of it until morning.” 20 But some of them didn’t listen and kept some of it until morning. But by then it was full of maggots and had a terrible smell. Moses was very angry with them.

God told Israel not to store the manna overnight, but some of them kept extra anyway. Their attempt to guarantee tomorrow for themselves ended badly because they were acting outside what God had instructed. But later God specifically told them to gather twice as much before the Sabbath so they would already have provision for the next day.

Exodus 16:22–24

Exodus 16:22–24 NLT

22 On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much as usual—four quarts for each person instead of two. Then all the leaders of the community came and asked Moses for an explanation. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord commanded: Tomorrow will be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath day set apart for the Lord. So bake or boil as much as you want today, and set aside what is left for tomorrow.” 24 So they put some aside until morning, just as Moses had commanded. And in the morning the leftover food was wholesome and good, without maggots or odor.

That contrast is important. The problem was not keeping something for tomorrow. In one situation God prohibited it; in another He commanded it. The issue was whether their preparation was being directed by obedience or by fear.

Planning is not the opposite of trusting God. Planning becomes a problem when our plan replaces our trust in God.

Movement declaration:

Wisdom prepares, but trust remembers who controls tomorrow.

Some Israelites attempted to keep manna beyond what God had instructed. They were trying to secure tomorrow by controlling today's provision.

But later in the same chapter, God specifically tells them to gather extra in preparation for the Sabbath.

That distinction matters.

The Bible is not condemning preparation.

Saving is not automatically fear.

Planning is not automatically unbelief.

Having reserves is not automatically hoarding.

The question is whether our planning remains obedient to God or whether our planning has become our replacement for trusting God.

The issue is not whether I have something saved for tomorrow. The issue is whether what I have saved has become the thing I trust with tomorrow.

Wise stewardship says, God has given me something today, so I am going to manage it responsibly.

Fear says, If I cannot control every possible outcome tomorrow, I cannot have peace today.

We can plan faithfully without pretending that our plan is sovereign.

Movement Declaration

Wisdom prepares, but trust remembers who controls tomorrow.

Movement Four — Maybe “Enough” Is Better Than We Think

Proverbs 30:7–9 NLT

7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Agur (*NOTE- Proverbs 30 begins with an attribution, this could be a name or it could be referencing a moniker for Solomon, we don’t have clear evidence for either Agur does have the meaning gatherer)

The writer of the 30th chapter of Proverbs gives us a fascinating prayer because he does not simply ask God for more.

He recognizes dangers on both ends. Desperate poverty can create temptation, but abundance can also create the illusion that we no longer need God.

So his prayer essentially centers on receiving what is necessary and remaining dependent upon God.

That challenges a culture where success is often defined by continual increase.

We are trained to believe that more automatically means better. More income, more possessions, more opportunities, more influence, more security.

Scripture gives us another category:

Enough.

Enough does not mean we stop growing, working, creating, or pursuing what God has placed before us. It means we stop believing that our lives cannot be good until we possess more.

Enough is not failure when God is still faithful.

The goal of the Christian life is not maximum accumulation. The goal is faithful dependence upon God with whatever He places in our hands.

This protects us on both sides. We do not glorify poverty, and we do not worship abundance.

Movement Declaration

My peace does not have to wait until I have more.

Movement Five — Trust Opens Our Hands

2 Corinthians 9:6–11 NLT

6 Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” 8 And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 9 As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” 10 For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. 11 Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God.

Paul is speaking specifically about generosity. He is encouraging believers who are participating in financial provision for other Christians.

His argument is not that giving money guarantees that God will make us wealthy. His emphasis is that God supplies His people so that they can continue doing good and become increasingly generous.

That is a very different picture of abundance.

God's provision does not always terminate with the person receiving it. Sometimes He places something in our hands because He intends some of it to pass through our hands.

The question is not only, “Will I have enough?” Sometimes the better question is, “What has God already given me that can become enough for someone else?”

Fear naturally closes the hand because fear assumes whatever leaves may never return.

Trust can open the hand because our confidence is ultimately in the Provider rather than the provision.

That does not mean reckless giving, manipulated giving, or giving money we have a responsibility to use elsewhere. Paul himself emphasizes willing generosity rather than compulsion.

Generosity is not proving that we have no needs. It is refusing to allow fear to have complete control over what God has entrusted to us.

Movement Declaration

When I trust the Source, I can hold the resource with an open hand.

Movement Six — *Scarcity Can Bury More Than Money

2 Timothy 1:6–7 NLT

6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

Paul's concern here is specifically Timothy's calling. Timothy has received a gift from God, and Paul is urging him to actively develop and use it rather than shrinking back.

That makes this a natural place for the Bevere connection.

Scarcity does not only say, “I don't have enough money.” It can say, “I don't have enough ability. I don't have enough experience. I don't have enough influence. I don't have enough confidence. Someone else could do this better than I could.”

Fear can cause us to bury gifts before we ever use them, reject opportunities before we pray about them, or remain spectators because we are waiting to feel completely prepared.

God may give an assignment that exceeds our natural confidence because calling was never intended to depend exclusively upon natural ability. God's grace enables faithfulness beyond what we could produce through self-reliance alone.

But 2 Timothy 1 should not become a blanket claim that every hesitation is ungodly fear. Wisdom sometimes says wait. The Spirit sometimes closes doors.

The issue is whether God has called us forward and fear alone is keeping us stationary.

The Fear of Scarcity asks, “What if I don't have enough?” But the contrast of the Calling of God asks, “What has God already placed in my hands, how should I honor him with it?”

The goal is not reckless risk. The goal is faithful obedience.

Movement Declaration

I do not have to possess everything I need before I begin obeying the God who called me.

Practical Response — Trust God Enough for Today's Obedience

Breaking the scarcity story does not mean convincing yourself that you are wealthy when you are not. It does not mean ignoring the bank account, refusing to budget, or pretending a real need does not exist.

It means refusing to allow fear to become the loudest voice in the decision.

There may be something you need to plan for wisely. Plan for it.

There may be an expense that requires restraint. Practice restraint.

There may be something God is asking you to give. Give faithfully rather than compulsively.

There may be a gift or opportunity you have been burying because you keep telling yourself that you are not ready enough. Take the next obedient step.

The question becomes:

What would I do differently today if I genuinely believed God could be trusted with tomorrow?

Not ten years from now.

Not every possible outcome.

Today.

Closing — The Scarcity Story Is Not the Father's Story

Scarcity tells us there will never be enough.

The Father tells us He is our source.

Fear tells us everything depends upon us.

Jesus reminds us that He is Lord.

Insecurity tells us we do not possess enough to accomplish anything meaningful.

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom, strength, gifts, and power for what God calls us to do.

That does not mean every believer will always possess financial abundance. Scripture does not promise that.

It means our lives are not ultimately governed by the amount currently sitting in our hands.

Faith does not pretend the need is unreal. Faith refuses to believe the need is greater than God.

Maybe freedom from scarcity begins when we stop asking, How can I make absolutely sure I will always have enough?

And begin asking:

Can I trust the Father enough to faithfully use what He has placed in my hands today?

Altar Direction

The response should center on fear and obedience rather than money alone.

I need to work through the honest presentation of this. As our church goes, so often go the people. As a church, I think there is something important about honestly presenting where we are financially and then refusing to respond in fear.

Last week, we gave a generous offering to Brandy Wilson, the missionary that spoke and we still ended the week with money in the bank, although that’s not how the week before ended. There is something in that worth recognizing—the financial faithfulness and provision of God.

As a pastor, fear in my own household, especially around finances, can come easily, and I actively fight against it. As pastor of this church, fear—especially financial fear—is a nuisance that I am constantly trying to remove from my thoughts and, more importantly, from prayers that are supposed to be centered on my trust in God.

It is easy to read this from my notes. It is harder to express it with conviction. But it is even more difficult to live it when the details are sitting in front of you in raw form.

The easy finishing move would be an altar call that guilts us into giving. I don't want to do that. Instead, I think there is a specific kind of prayer that we, as a church, should actively pray together —and that the families of this church should be able to model in their own homes. Father, everything we have ultimately comes from Your hand. You know what we need, You know what we have, and You know what is ahead of us. We refuse to let fear become the voice that directs our decisions.

Give us wisdom to faithfully manage what You have already provided. Give us courage to be generous when You call us to give. Give us restraint when we need to wait, wisdom when we need to act, and peace when we cannot yet see how everything will work out.

God, provide what is needed for us to faithfully answer Your calling to this community. Open doors that expand our ability to help families pursue You, grow us as disciples, change the way we love one another, and serve those in need around us. Give us the resources, opportunities, wisdom, and people necessary to faithfully do what You have called this church to do.

We are not asking You to make us comfortable enough that we no longer need to trust You. We are asking You to provide what is needed and teach us to trust You with what comes next.

As a church, and in our homes, let us be people who can say: what we have belongs to God, what we need is known by God, and what comes next can be trusted to God. Keep us faithful, generous, wise, and free from fear. Amen.