Provision

It can be difficult to talk about God’s provision when we live in a world that is so broken; so lacking.  There are gaping wounds across continents, across families, in our own homes, and we turn our face away from the light, despairing, and angry. We live in a needy world and we are needy people.  Starved for food, thirsty for water, desiring justice, craving love, and craving God who sometimes, it feels, doesn’t show up.  Or does He?

We have wants and desires that we bring on bended knee before Him, before Someone.  Asking.  Sometimes pleading desperately. 

Just this one time God. 

Just this one thing.

I’ll never ask again, if you only…

We have all been there at one point if we are honest with ourselves.  If you only bring me this spouse, or heal this disease, or fix this marriage, or get me this job, or pay this debt.  Then….

The thing about the “then” is its misconception. As beautiful but broken people we are still left craving, wanting, and feeling like half empty cups in spite of our new spouse,  healthy body, happy marriage,  or perfect job.   Our neighbor's cup looks, at least from the outside, gloriously full, with it’s pretty outside pictures.  We chase after the pictures only to find we are still chasing.  Wanting.  We all are.

The good news is even with our half empty cups, God promises to be our provider.   He promises to guide us, shepherd us, fill us up, and yes, even use, often use, the people in our lives to be part of this miraculous process.   We discover on the journey that our wants and our needs are important to him, and He works it out for our good.    He knows our hearts, our every desires, and our humanness.  The bills we have to pay, the job interview , the daycare search, the upcoming retirement and He cares about all of it in an intimate way.  He is with us in the trenches of life, dirty diapers, bad break-ups and all.

And, perhaps He works it out for you in a way you hadn't quite expected, but it is always for your good.  We may not have that one thing that we desperately thought we needed to fill us up but we instead discover that God does show up, and somehow that is more than enough.

"For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." (Psalm 107:9)