Promise of God’s Provision

“Rest”

(Matthew 11: 28-30 & Psalm 46: 10)

Do you remember when you were little and your parents made you lie down and take a nap? Do you remember how much you hated that because (1) you weren’t tired; (2) your older siblings didn’t have to do it; and (3) you might miss out on something fun while you were napping? You saw it as a punishment from your parents. But maybe your parents knew something that you didn’t . . . maybe sometimes you just need to slow down and rest for a while . . . whether we feel like it or not.

We live in a fast pace – nonstop world where it seems like we are always on the go and we don’t have the chance to (or choose to) slow down and rest for a while. Our schedules are so jammed packed with going from one place to the next and from one appointment to the next event to another responsibility. And we just can’t seem to catch our breath. Songwriter Jonny Diaz captured this reality in a song entitled “Breathe”. (Search for it on Youtube . . . it’s a great song!) It’s a song that portrays the hurried lives that many of us live, but even in the midst of our fast paced life, God reminds us to “just breathe” and to “just rest at his feet”. God wants us to slow down and take a breath and to be comforted and encouraged in the presence of the Savior. And God promises to provide the rest that we need in order to make it through another day.

Matthew 11: 28-30has long been some of my favorite scripture because of the picture that it paints. It’s a picture of a caring Father holding, comforting and encouraging His child when life seems to be spiraling out of control. Think back to when you were a child, and life became so difficult and so overwhelming and seemingly so out of control that all you really wanted to do was crawl up on the lap of your Father and just be held and find rest. Well . . . I’m convinced that desire isn’t just in the lives of children. All of us have times in our life when the world seems to be so out of control, and all we want is just to find rest in the loving arms of the Father.

That’s the promise of God. He promises to give rest to those who are weary, and to hold us and to encourage us and to strengthen us for the next day. Psalm 46: 10 tells us to “be still and know that (He is) God. So if you’re having a hard time even catching your breath because of the crazy schedule that you have . . . maybe you just need to be still and then come to the Father and find rest for your weary soul. Maybe you just need to be held and encouraged by the strong arms of the Lord. He promises to provide the rest that you need in order to get back at it again tomorrow. So find rest in the arms of the Father. And then . . . go take a nap!! It’ll do you some good.

Promise of God’s Provision

“Guidance”

(Proverbs 3: 5-6, John 16: 13, Psalm 119: 105, Proverbs 6: 22)

There’s a cute Geico commercial on TV that has Tarzan and Jane swinging through the trees. And as they land on a limb, it is obvious that they are lost, and it’s obvious that Jane is upset. She questions Tarzan’s ability to navigate through the jungle, and even checks with a monkey to see if he knows the way to the waterfall. And then the truth comes out . . . if you’re a couple . . . you fight over directions. And whether or not that’s true for you, I believe that many of us are constantly looking for guidance and direction as we navigate through life. We want to make the correct turns and choices in our journey so that we can end up in the place where the Lord wants us to be.

The Bible has often been referred to as “the roadmap for life”, and if we would just check the map and follow the directions, then we’d figure out where we’re going and how to get there. But it’s just not that easy. A lot of times we end up “recalculating” because we went the wrong way. Google maps make it pretty simple to get from one place to the next. And as long as you follow the directions, you’ll get to your destination. But figuring out what God wants you to do is more than just reading the map . . . it’s having faith in the One who gives the directions. It’s a matter of trusting Him when He tells you to do one thing and it sure seems like you should do the other thing.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 encourages us to trust in the Lord and not to depend on our own understanding of things. But if we acknowledge God as the One whom we’re following, then He will make our path straight. In other words, He has promised to guide us and direct us through life, and as long as we depend on Him and acknowledge Him as the leader, then we’ll end up where He wants us to be. When Jesus ascended back into Heaven, He promised that the Holy Spirit would come and would be our guide. (John 16: 13). It’s also been said that God’s Word is a “lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119: 105) and that His commands will be our guide (Proverbs 6: 22).

We are faced with so many choices in our journey through life, and often times we just don’t know which way to go, or better yet, what God wants us to do. But as we trust in the Lord and look into his Word, and spend time talking with the One who knows best, we can begin to understand the guidance and the direction that He has promised. We don’t need to feel lost in life . . . we just need to follow the Map, and we need to listen to the One who gives good directions. Trust the Lord and take steps of faith as you figure out where God wants you to go. Depend on Him to be your guide through life . . . and enjoy the ride.

Promise of God’s Provision

“Needs”

(Philippians 4: 19 & Isaiah 58: 11)

How many times in your life have you said something like . . . “I need a new phone.” Or “I need a new car.” Or I need a new outfit.” How many times have you confused the things that you “really need” with the things that you “really want”? I think we do that a lot, and I think that we’re all guilty of justifying our “wants” as “needs”. But even as I say that I know that sometimes our wants do become needs because of the situation that we find ourselves in. You may really “want” a new job, and it becomes a “need” when you get laid off. But if you’re like me, there are a lot of things that you want, but God knows what you need, and that’s what He’s promised to provide.

I have a friend who has always been completely dependent on the Lord to meet his needs. And there have been times when he’s wondered where the next thing was going to come from, but then God comes through and supplies the needs that he has. Philippians 4: 19 says that “my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t say that He will give you what you want. It only talks about the needs that we have. It’s encouraging to know that the Lord is watching over us and that He will provide for the needs that we have.

When Jesus sent the disciples out to begin their ministry (Luke 10), He told them not to worry about taking anything with them – that He would provide for all of their needs. He also said that we shouldn’t worry about food or clothes (Matthew 6), but that He would provide for us just like He does for all of His creation. He even promises to provide us with the words to say when we are in a position to be a witness for Him (Mark 13). So God knows what we need, and as a loving Father in Heaven, He has promised to meet our needs from his abundance of riches and in a way that brings glory and honor to Him. All we have to do is ask, and He will graciously give us the things that He knows that we need.

So, what do you need? Do you need to be encouraged because life has become overwhelming to you? Do you need wisdom in making some significant decisions in your life? Do you need a friend – a genuine friend – who is willing to stand by your side through the rough spots of your life? Whatever you “need” – not what you “want” – just ask the Lord, and He promises to supply the needs that you have. And remember that God always knows what is best, and sometimes He even knows the things that we need before we do. Just trust Him to provide for you!!

Promise of God’s Provision

“Peace”

(Philippians 4: 6-7, Luke 18: 1, John 14: 27)

Have you ever come face to face with a decision that needed to be made that was going to affect the rest of your life? Maybe it was a career decision or a relationship decision or a financial decision? Do you remember how heavy that decision was and the stress and anxiety that it caused? Well that’s where I was in August of 1988. I was faced with one of the toughest decisions of my life up until that point and I had no clue what was right and what was wrong. I had no idea what to do or what the best decision was. And it’s this kind of decision that you definitely do not want to make on a whim or on a hunch. You want to know it’s right . . . you want to be at peace with the decision that you make.

The Bible says in Philippians 4: 6-7 that we should not be anxious (or stressed out) about anything, but that we should pray about everything and consult with God in every situation. And Luke 18: 1 says that we should always pray and not give up. So, that’s what I did. I took this decision to the Lord in prayer and I asked and begged and pleaded with the Lord that He would help me make the right decision. And it’s times like this that you would really like an obvious answer – maybe some writing in the sky or a random letter in the mail that God uses to point you in one direction or the other. But that didn’t happen. So I continued to pray and ask God for wisdom to make the right decision. But sometimes, after praying about it and relying on the Lord, you just need to take a step of faith and trust that the Lord will honor and be pleased with the decision that you make.

So, that’s what happened. I decided . . . and I was amazed at the peace that I felt. This was such a huge decision, and yet a peace that I could not explain or comprehend came over me and I knew that I had made the right decision. But I shouldn’t have been amazed because God has promised to bring peace to our lives, even in the midst of struggle and difficulty. Bishop Todd Fetters reminded us this past May that God can bring peace in the middle of the storms that we face (Matthew 8). It’s a peace that we experience because we know that God has our back and that He is in our corner. It’s a peace that comes because we trust in a God who loves us, helps us and cares about us.

God has promised to bring peace to your life and so you do not need to be afraid or fearful when life gets rough (John 14: 27). You don’t need to worry or be anxious about anything. Instead . . . pray . . . and trust . . . and a peace that you can’t explain . . . a peace that comes from a loving and caring God . . . will cover your life and will help you in your time of need.

Promise of God’s Provision

“Free Gift of Salvation”

(Romans 6: 23, 1st Timothy 2: 3-4, Ephesians 2: 8-9)

So I have a smart phone and I saw a very intriguing app the other day, so I decided to download it . . . it’s the “Chick Fil A” app. This app can be used for ordering a meal, for paying the bill and for finding other “Chick Fil A” restaurants when you’re traveling. But the coolest part of this download was what it came with . . . a FREE Chicken Sandwich. Woo Hoo! Go ahead and download the app. You’ll be glad that you did!

A “FREE GIFT” . . . sounds kind of redundant, doesn’t it? If it’s free, then it’s a gift, and if it weren’t free, then it wouldn’t be a gift. But that’s what God offers all of us . . . a free gift of salvation. Except it wasn’t free but it certainly is a gift. I know – I just confused you! But let me explain. In order to make it possible for us to be saved from our sins and to experience salvation and eternal life in Heaven, a price needed to be paid. That price was paid (in full) by Jesus Christ when He died on the cross . . . in our place.

So Jesus paid for this with His life, but the gift is free to you and to me. All we have to do is accept it. Romans 6: 23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death” – what we deserve because of our sinfulness is eternal separation from God the Father. But, that verse goes on to tell us that “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – the gift that we don’t deserve, but the gift that God’s grace and His love makes possible. Acts 15: 11 (NLT) says that we can all be saved from our sins because of the “undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus’. And certainly God wants everyone to “be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1st Timothy 2: 3-4). So God makes this free gift available to all who believe.

Some people struggle with the fact that this gift of salvation is free and they feel like they need to do something to earn it or deserve it. But Ephesians 2: 8-9 says that there is nothing that we can do to earn our salvation – it’s not based on the good works that we do. Being saved from our sins and reserving a spot for ourselves in eternity only comes because of God’s grace and our faith. Salvation is free to all who believe. It’s the gift that God provides and desperately wants everyone to accept.

Free gifts are fantastic . . . my free chicken sandwich was delicious. But the gift of salvation that God has made possible is eternally better than all other gifts. And it’s a gift that God provides because He loves you and wants to know you and have an intimate relationship with you. My prayer is that you will graciously accept the gift that God offers and allow His presence in your life to change your life for all of eternity.