The Lord will Provide

"I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27 (NIV)

We have all heard the old expression, "God will provide," but have you ever really considered it to be true in your life? Have you ever just leaned back and thought about all the serendipity and divine interventions that you have noticed, let alone the ones you haven't? More and more lately, I have noticed the Lord's hand in all aspects of my life and in the lives of others as well. He truly will provide. Psalm 37 says "the days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty." (18-19)

There are many instances in the Bible of God's provision. The provisions of manna and quail to the Israelites in the desert for 40 years, the protection given to Daniel in the lion's den, the protection given to David from Saul's evil schemes, rain for the crops, water for the people, the parting of the Red Sea, and on and on it goes. The Bible is a veritable broken record of God's provisions to His wayward and sinful creation. Jesus said "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25) God also uses other believers to provide for each other in times of need. Paul wrote "this service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God." (2 Corinthians 9:12) Remember that as many times as God provides for you, He is also using you as a provision for others' needs. If we are selfish and accept God's gifts but do not pass them on in favor, He will discontinue our blessings.

But our ultimate provision is our salvation available through Christ. We are lost in a sinful world with no will of our own and God extends His mighty hand to us that we might take it and walk with Him. The blood of Christ covers us and allows for communion with the Almighty. The Bible says "for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:15) Do not takes God's gifts and provisions for granted as achieved on your own. You may gain many riches in the world, but only He can make you truly peaceful and truly filled. Jesus said "what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" (Mark 8:36)

We were watching a show the other night on TV called Earth 2100. It was focused on the environment and what the people of the earth should do to protect it from disaster by the year 2100. They kept mentioning all these disasters and changes that were going to occur if we didn't change our evil ways of handling our planet. By the year 2100 the earth was virtually destroyed and nearly uninhabitable. I turned to my husband and said, "they left one thing out...God." God made this world for himself and for man, and He will return again one day to reclaim it and remove theevil and the damage we have done.

There are those who believe that global warming and environmental issues are the Devil's way of drawing our attention away from important Christian issues like abortion, gay marriage, and the like. I personally believe it is God telling us to remember that He can turn, and in many instances has turned, us over to this world of sin. We must be careful what we do with His creation. The sins of man will be accounted for at the end, but our earth is the only home we have until the glorious appearing of our Lord. It is our responsibility to be good stewards of God's provisions and resources. Meanwhile our ultimate goal should be to spread the gospel of Christ. So let's all remember that yes, God will provide, as long as we are using His gifts for His glory. But once we begin to abuse them...well, let's just don't...