God the Provider
Only within the past year or so have I become interested in Theology (the study of God, the attributes of Him), but I've quickly fallen in love with it and come into an understanding of the necessity. (The reason being, my discipler in Greensboro MADE me read Knowing God by J.I. Packer, and I've been hooked ever since...thanks Michelle). As I continue reading this book, for it is a very dense read, I fall more in love with the Lord. Quite simply, He's great and we're not. It amazes me that this God that's so big and intricate and lovely would choose to love us puny, stupid humans. But that is just me rambling.
God is Provider. Countless times in the Bible God provided for the needs of His beloveds: the Hebrews' food and water in the desert is the one that stands out to me the most. God chose them, He was their God, but when things got to be uncomfortable they whined and wanted out of the journey. God continued to provide for them, because He made a promise to them and because He loved them. So often it's easy for us to get used to being maltreated (like the Hebrews being the slaves of the Egyptians) that we loose sight of the possbility of us being free with true happiness. At times when the Hebrews were displeased with their nomadic(ish) condition, they would complain that it was 'better for them to be in Egypt still because they had the food and shelter that they desired'. Seriously?, they were saying that it was better to be in bondage to the ruthless Egyptian pharoah than to be en route to the Promised Land that the Lord had prepared/reserved just for them. What's wrong with this picture?!? But, despite the Hebrews being whiney ingrates, God continued to provide for them; He rained manna (ingredients used to make bread) from the sky, He gave them water from a rock, He provided leadership, He lead them with a Pillar of Fire (night) and a Pillar of Cloud (day), He pushed back the Jordan River for them to cross over into the Promised Land, He split the Red Sea for them to escage Egypt...and they complained because they were tired of manna.
Now it's easy to say that we'd never react that way if we were in their worn dusty sandals, but really think about yourself. I think you'll find the answer is 'yes I would', we all would and we all do. We're grateful for our car, BUT a newer one would satisfy us more; we're grateful for our clothes, BUT a better brand would feel better; this job provides what we need, BUT a promotion is what we deserve. And all the while God provides.
He provides because that is who He is, not just what He does. In God's very character, being provider is wrapped up with all His other glorious, perfect traits. Kind of like I am not a woman because I do womanly things, but because I simply am a woman, to my very core. Nothing and no one can take that away from me; if someone calls me a man, I am still a woman. If I got a sex change, my very DNA says that I am a woman. Such is this with God. No matter how little or how much I trust God, He is no less the Provider, He is no less phenomenal! I could say that He couldn't possibly raise all the support needed and He is still able to provide; I could lose complete faith in Him and He would remain that same Provisional God He forever has been and will be.
Isn't that comforting?!?
So why is it so hard to trust God? Well looking back at the Hebrews in their journey to the Promised Land, they were uncertain; they had never been free. Because of the sin of Adam we are in bondage to sin, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus we are free (1 Corinthians 15). The thing with this freedom is that we have to USE IT! What if pharoah had actually decided to let the Hebrews go, but they decided to stay because it was familiar and they didn't know what any other life looked like. Foolishness right? We do the same thing, we say we want a deeper walk with the Lord, but we're too chicken to shed the bondage that is our sin, AND THIS SIN WE'VE BEEN SET FREE FROM!
Knowing freedom isn't enough, the REALIZATION of it is key. By realization I mean, the utilization and ownership of it.
That is what has been on my heart for the Summer; I have to continually remind myself of God's provisional character. He has, countless times, proven Himself to be who He said He is, now I have to trust Him and His Word.
God is Provider. Countless times in the Bible God provided for the needs of His beloveds: the Hebrews' food and water in the desert is the one that stands out to me the most. God chose them, He was their God, but when things got to be uncomfortable they whined and wanted out of the journey. God continued to provide for them, because He made a promise to them and because He loved them. So often it's easy for us to get used to being maltreated (like the Hebrews being the slaves of the Egyptians) that we loose sight of the possbility of us being free with true happiness. At times when the Hebrews were displeased with their nomadic(ish) condition, they would complain that it was 'better for them to be in Egypt still because they had the food and shelter that they desired'. Seriously?, they were saying that it was better to be in bondage to the ruthless Egyptian pharoah than to be en route to the Promised Land that the Lord had prepared/reserved just for them. What's wrong with this picture?!? But, despite the Hebrews being whiney ingrates, God continued to provide for them; He rained manna (ingredients used to make bread) from the sky, He gave them water from a rock, He provided leadership, He lead them with a Pillar of Fire (night) and a Pillar of Cloud (day), He pushed back the Jordan River for them to cross over into the Promised Land, He split the Red Sea for them to escage Egypt...and they complained because they were tired of manna.
Now it's easy to say that we'd never react that way if we were in their worn dusty sandals, but really think about yourself. I think you'll find the answer is 'yes I would', we all would and we all do. We're grateful for our car, BUT a newer one would satisfy us more; we're grateful for our clothes, BUT a better brand would feel better; this job provides what we need, BUT a promotion is what we deserve. And all the while God provides.
He provides because that is who He is, not just what He does. In God's very character, being provider is wrapped up with all His other glorious, perfect traits. Kind of like I am not a woman because I do womanly things, but because I simply am a woman, to my very core. Nothing and no one can take that away from me; if someone calls me a man, I am still a woman. If I got a sex change, my very DNA says that I am a woman. Such is this with God. No matter how little or how much I trust God, He is no less the Provider, He is no less phenomenal! I could say that He couldn't possibly raise all the support needed and He is still able to provide; I could lose complete faith in Him and He would remain that same Provisional God He forever has been and will be.
Isn't that comforting?!?
So why is it so hard to trust God? Well looking back at the Hebrews in their journey to the Promised Land, they were uncertain; they had never been free. Because of the sin of Adam we are in bondage to sin, but because of the sacrifice of Jesus we are free (1 Corinthians 15). The thing with this freedom is that we have to USE IT! What if pharoah had actually decided to let the Hebrews go, but they decided to stay because it was familiar and they didn't know what any other life looked like. Foolishness right? We do the same thing, we say we want a deeper walk with the Lord, but we're too chicken to shed the bondage that is our sin, AND THIS SIN WE'VE BEEN SET FREE FROM!
Knowing freedom isn't enough, the REALIZATION of it is key. By realization I mean, the utilization and ownership of it.
That is what has been on my heart for the Summer; I have to continually remind myself of God's provisional character. He has, countless times, proven Himself to be who He said He is, now I have to trust Him and His Word.
Comments
Post a Comment