The Provision Factor Pt 2 Series

“The Provision Factor” Pt 2

(The Fatherhood of God Pt 8)

Supplement to notes from July 22, 2007

Review

The Bible uses a number of visual and emotional aids to communicate the relationship between the Creator and His creation. Shield, Master, Lord, Creator, Eternal God, Almighty, Fortress, Commander, Sovereign. There is no more endearing visual however than Heavenly Father.

I am aware that the father image does not always foster fuzzy feelings for some. The father portrait imbedded in the mind of many does not generate positive emotions. Your human father does not necessarily reflect or represent the role of your Heavenly Father. I have done the best I can to paint a Biblical picture of your heavenly father in the past weeks.

I. The Likeness Factor – Dad’s perfect genes

II. Unconditional love and acceptance factor – Dad’s unconditional love

III. Protection and security Factor – Dad’s perpetual protection

IV. The Presence Factor – Dad’s strategic presence

V. The Wisdom Factor – Dad’s infallible counsel

VI. The Provision Factor – Dad’s inexhaustible provision

A. God continually sustains a viable environment.

B. God provides for mankind in general

C. God provides for nations who trust him

D. God provides for Israel now and in the future

E. God provides for His special children

1. God’s physical provision

a) Physical protection

b) Physical healing & restoration

2. God’s material provision

3. God’s provision for the soul

4. God’s spiritual provision

5. God’s withholding of provision

Our heavenly father delights in providing for His children.

How do we deal with the times where there seems to be no provision?

Does God ever withhold his provision?

There are times God chooses not to provide in the manner we expect in order to bring about a higher purpose than my wants.

a) Failure to obey (sin)

God lays out the rules of provision.

Suppose I tell you to go to Silverdale Safeway at 3:00PM on Saturday to pick out $1,000 worth of free groceries. You show up at 7:PM or decide you don’t like the clerk at Safeway and show up at Albertsons at 3:00PM. Whose fault is it that you needs are not supplied?

So many accuse God of not providing when the reality is, they refused to follow instructions.

Their pride prevented them from being in a position to receive God’s promised provision.

But I gave you also cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places, yet you have not returned to Me, declares the LORD. Furthermore, I withheld the rain from you while there were still three months until harvest. Then I would send rain on one city and on another city I would not send rain; one part would be rained on, while the part not rained on would dry up. So two or three cities would stagger to another city to drink water, but would not be satisfied; yet you have not returned to Me, declares the LORD. I smote you with scorching wind and mildew; and the caterpillar was devouring Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees and olive trees; Yet you have not returned to Me, declares the LORD.I sent a plague among you after the manner of Egypt; I slew your young men by the sword along with your captured horses, and I made the stench of your camp rise up in your nostrils; Yet you have not returned to Me, declares the LORD. I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a firebrand snatched from a blaze; yet you have not returned to Me, declares the LORD. Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel. For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the LORD God of hosts is His name. Amos 4:6-13

b) Failure to ask.

You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2-3

c) Unhealthy request

Many times we ask God to provide something that will become a stumbling block to our relationship with Him.

We want things that will be harmful to our spiritual development.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. James 4:2-3

The Israelites asked for meat at a time when they needed to keep lean and healthy.

God gave them meat but they experienced what Psalms calls “leanness of soul”.

Just as we do not give our children everything they ask knowing it would be unhealthy, our heavenly Father often does not provide what we ask in order to protect our spiritual health.