Gratitude For God's Provision Series

### Introduction

Video Ill.: God’s Provision by James Grocho

Transcript: In every season, God provides. His grace meets our every need. He always provides our daily bread. He knows what we need before we ask, guiding us with a plan for our future, overflowing blessings in abundance. His provision is unearned yet freely given. His presence is constant and never failing. In all times, He is faithful. He supplies all we need to fulfill His purpose. Let’s trust in His endless provision, rejoicing in His perfect care, finding peace in His promise, for our God will always provide.

God always provides. These are stories I’ve told you before, but when it comes to thinking about how God provides, I can’t help but remember these events.

In College, I was not able check out of the dorms until my bill was paid in full. I was not returning in the fall that year, so the bill had to be paid in full. I sold bunches of things to make some extra cash. I took on a second work study job to make some additional money that went straight to my college bill. Yet, when most students were leaving, I still had an unpaid balance. I couldn’t leave. The time came when we had to leave the campus, and God provided cash in my school mailbox, enough to payoff my bill for that semester. I was able to check out and leave. God provided.

When I had to give back my 68 Dodge Dart after Amanda and I were first married, for $500 I bought an old Ford Escort. It wasn’t a great car, but it got me from where I was to where I needed to be. I drove it for a couple of years when we lived in Elizabeth City and Hillsville until it broke down. It was going to cost more money than Amanda and I had to fix it. As we were wrestling with how to make it with one car, I received a call from the parents of a high school friend. They had heard that I was preaching at a church. They were getting rid of one of their parent’s car and wanted to give it to me as a donation to my ministry. It had low miles, and had been cared for meticulously. You can believe we jumped right on that. God provided.

There were two times where God provided what we needed in His way in His timing after we moved to Martinsville. The first happened the day we arrived in our moving truck in October. We got out of the truck, and were met by a man who was in charge of the maintenance program for Martinsville City Schools. A teaching position had opened and he had spoken to some folks about Amanda. Basically, the job was hers if she was interested. And so, after not teaching in a school system for a couple of years, Amanda was teaching again. And, 25 years later, she’s still teaching! God provided.

Due to some complications, I left the church in Martinsville the next summer. It was tough making ends meet. I went to work for what has now become Carter Bank & Trust. Amanda was still teaching. We were living in a townhouse in Martinsvillle. The rent was due and there just wasn’t enough in the bank account to cover it. That evening, there was a bag with cash in it next to our car, enough to make the rent. God provided.

If there is anything I have learned in my life it is this: God provides for His children.

But it’s more than just our physical needs. He provides spiritually, emotionally, and relationally as well.

While living in Hillsville, God provided a great preacher friend and mentor who helped me through some challenging times when we lived there.

While living in Martinsville, God provided a great preacher friend who encouraged and supported Amanda and me through the difficult complications we lived through there.

God always provides exactly what we need. For that, we ought to be overflowing with gratitude.

This morning we are continuing our study, “Overflowing with Gratitude”.

Last week, we were challenged to move beyond occasional thankfulness and embrace gratitude as a daily decision. We were reminded that gratitude is more than a reaction to blessings—it's a way of life that shapes our hearts, perspectives, and relationships. By living gratefully, we not only grow closer to God, but we also become a powerful witness of His goodness to the world around us.

This morning, let’s focus on how we can be grateful for God’s provision for our lives.

### 1. **It starts with us Recognizing God’s Faithfulness in His Provision.**

Paul prayed this for the Philippians at the conclusion of that letter, saying this in Philippians 4: