Trusting God for Daily Provision
By Ashley Moore
“Give us this day our daily bread…” - Matthew 6:11, ESV
It is so hard to make decisions when we aren’t sure if we will have the resources to follow through. For example, based on where we sensed the Lord leading, my husband and I put our three kids in a very expensive school when we weren’t sure how we would pay the monthly tuition. Another time, my husband was in between jobs and we felt sure it was time for him to launch a business but we had no idea how to get started. Then other times, we would be so close to hitting a certain savings goal only to have a big unexpected expense come and obliterate the account.
Those are a few more extreme examples, but there have been small ones as well. Maybe you can relate to the following scenarios.
Have you ever felt prompted to give financially to a cause but the amount exceeded the number in your bank account?
Or have you ever chosen to send a few Christmas presents to a family in need even though you still needed to shop for your family and friends?
Perhaps you received a large refund from your taxes and thought about buying the car you’ve had your eyes on, but decided instead to tithe the money first and trusted the Lord to make your car last a little longer.
In each of these situations, the temptation to worry about the future presents itself. We often withhold generosity for fear that we may not have enough in the future. But something the Lord continues to remind us through His Word is that He provides daily. This means each day, God gives us generously what we need and enough that we can also share with others (2 Corinthians 9:8). What would it look like to live as though we believe that God will give us our daily bread?
Overflowing with Thanksgiving
Before Jesus performed the miracle of feeding five thousand people, He gave thanks for the five loaves and two fish (Matthew 14:19). Jesus, being fully God and fully man, understood that God was powerful enough to take this tiny meal and make it enough to feed whoever was hungry. And His response was to first, give thanks for what was already there. A tell-tale sign of a person who believes that God gives daily provision is a person who overflows with thankfulness for what they already have.
Generously Sharing with Others
Immediately after giving thanks for the five loaves and two fish, Jesus broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples (Matthew 14:19). Jesus thanked God and then He broke what He had into pieces and gave it away to others! Jesus was so confident that he would have what He needed that He freely shared it with the people in need around Him. A generous person is a person who is confident that their God will give them what they need and more than enough to share.
As humans, we will worry from time to time about what we will eat, how we will afford certain things, and if there will be enough to go around should something go wrong. But God gently reminds us to look at the birds and the flowers, who don’t do anything to earn their clothes or food, but God provides for them ( Matthew 6:26-29). He tells us to pray as Jesus did for God to give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). When we trust God for our daily needs and turn from fixating on future needs we can overflow with thankfulness and share generously to meet the needs of others.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Do you feel overly concerned about a need you are facing? Maybe an unexpected car repair or a bill that needs to be paid soon. Take a moment to jot down three to five things that you are thankful for praising God for each thing, and then ask God to provide for your specific need. Trust Him and thank Him in advance for daily bread.
Further Reading:
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