“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.
d) Deeper trust & humility
Many listed in Hebrews 11 did not receive but maintained their trust in a future city made without hands.
(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. Hebrews 11:38
"He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. Deuteronomy 8:3
For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
When you have nothing left but God, then for the first time, you become aware that God is enough.
An old preacher once said that God always supplies our need and sometimes we need to go hungry or go without.
e) Body Building
For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality— at this present time your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack." 2 Corinthians 8:12-15
Just like the early church, we should be aware of opportunities to meet the needs of other church members.
Response Today
? Be grateful for God’s daily provision.
We would have nothing, absolutely nothing apart from God’s provision.
Moses warned the Israelites that when they had become entrenched in the land and self-sufficient they would forget where it all came from.
They would forget that even the ability to make wealth comes from God.
Ingratitude is the first step a long journey away from God.
? Examine your life and relationship with God
What is God trying to tell you by a current lack of supply? Is God trying to get your attention? Are your desires in line with His? Check you motivations. Does God want to teach complete dependence on Him? Take some time to listen to what He has to say.
? Trust Him to provide for your needs
There are times of darkness and testing in our journey to His eternal home.
Know that we have a loving heavenly father.
Our heavenly father is not like our earthly father.
? Our heavenly father passed on perfect genes
? Our heavenly father loves us unconditionally
? Our heavenly father protects us faithfully
? Our heavenly father never leaves us or forsakes us or abandons us.
? Our heavenly father offers infallible counsel and direction for life.
? Our heavenly father provides for our every need both now and forever, AMEN.
God never promised there would not be darkness in this journey.
In fact nearly every saint of significant impact navigated a dark valley at some time in their life where they learned a deeper trust in God.
Our Heavenly Father does really care about every aspect of your life.
He will provide.
He willingly and freely gives us all things.
My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
