Provision - First15 - November 17
Weekly Overview:
Trust is something we are not created to give away lightly. We value trust like we value our own lives, constantly scrutinizing others to see if they're worthy of our trust. But still we are made to do life with help. We are made to place our trust in that which will provide us with more life, joy, and peace. I pray that this week you and I will discover how trustworthy our heavenly Father is. I pray that we will willingly hand over control of our lives to a capable, loving, and near God. And I pray we will experience the abundant life that can only come through placing our trust in a God who gives up everything for relationship with us.
Scripture:“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Psalm 37:25-26
Devotional:
We serve a God who abundantly provides for us everything we could ever need. There are so many Scriptures about God’s promise of provision. There are so many stories of God breaking through when his people needed him and providing exceedingly. We have a good Father who longs for his children to experience the peace and joy that comes from trusting in his desire to provide.
The famous Psalm 23 begins in a way that perfectly illustrates the heart of one who trusts in God. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Let those words sink in for a second. What would it be like to go through life with the peace and security that comes from wholeheartedly believing you “shall not want”?How would you approach work, finances, and relationships if you knew you would never want?
Abundant peace and security is available for you today if you will trust in your heavenly Father’s promise to provide everything you need. He is a God of grace who loves you. You will not want in this life or for all of eternity.
Allow these Scriptures to stir up your faith and trust in your heavenly Father: “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing” (Psalm 37:25-26). “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
A large part of trusting God in the area of provision is aligning your desires with his. Trust that he will provide the absolute best life you can live. Whether he provides abundantly in the eyes of the world does not matter. He is a perfect, loving Father who has absolutely perfect plans for you. If you are truly seeking him and trusting him with all your heart, you will live the best life possible. He knows what you need. He knows the desires within you. Stop looking to the world for examples of what your life should look like and seek his will above all else. Look to loving him and being loved by him as the best thing in life and all else will fall into place. May your life be marked by the abundant provision of your loving Father today in all areas as you place your trust in him.
Guided Prayer:
1. Meditate on God’s desire to abundantly provide for you. Allow Scripture to stir up trust in God’s provision.
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1
“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Matthew 6:26
“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Psalm 37:25-26
2. Where are you not experiencing the peace that comes from trusting in the provision of your heavenly Father? Where are you seeking more than what is best for you? Where are you looking to the world as your example of a good life rather than seeking out the heart of God?
“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Hebrews 13:5
“For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” James 1:11
3. Place your trust for provision in your heavenly Father alone. Take the weight of provision off your own shoulders and place it squarely on his. Stop looking to others or to circumstances to give you what you need. Look to God alone. Rest in his peace and love as you settle into a lifestyle of trusting him.
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
2 Corinthians 9:8-11 lays out God’s plan to provide for you abundantly so that others might be blessed through you. May you be used by God today to be an example of his heart to provide. May what he has given you create an overflow of love and sacrifice for others:
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
Extended Reading: Psalm 37
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