God's Provision

Psalms 147: 7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.

⁸ He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures. ⁹ He gives food to the wild animals and feeds the young ravens when they cry. ¹⁰ He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might. ¹¹ No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

You don't have to go very long without a rain in your area before things start to fall apart. The ground gets dry and dusty, and the grass turns an ugly brown, and the plants providing food for nourishment don't produce as much. We got trouble. BUT GOD!!!

The Psalmist speaks of our God who provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures, etc, etc. Our God Provides and we glorify Him as He does.

God also gives food to the wild animals and feeds the birds and we know beyond a shadow of doubt, we are in trouble without God's provision. How do we react? Sometimes not very good. I will hear the weatherman make statements about the weather going to be bad because it is going to rain and I almost cringe, thinking "we need the rain." Oh it may not make it a great day on the lake, but we need the rain and God is providing the moisture we need. Just go a week of two without rain and that attitude changes to "I wish it would rain."

Taking God for granted is a good thing and it shows we trust Him to be God in all our circumstances. To take God for granted the wrong way means we don't attribute any of these things He supplies to Him and then we don't praise Him for His provision. Big mistake.

Israel continually showed disobedience to God and He was not happy with them and He showed His attitude about them in Exodus 34:¹⁴ You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you. The basic tenets of our understanding of God's law is that we honor Him alone as our provider and our supplier. To trust in anyone or anything else breaks this one commandment of the ten.

Ask God to provide, and you have set into motion a faith that believes in His provision and believe it or not, He wants to be trusted and asked again and again because He is our only true provider. To pray again and again to God for something is honoring Him and showing that our hearts are turned toward Him. The One who supplies everything we need to stay alive. Now, that is true COMMON SENSE, and we must learn to trust His provision for everything. Proverbs 3:⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren