by
Os Hillman for Marketplace Leaders
|
"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).
Have you ever gone through a time of complete dependence on God for your material needs? Perhaps you lost a job and could not generate income on your own. Perhaps you got sick and could not work. There are circumstances in our lives that can put us in this place.
When God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt through the desolate desert, they had no ability to provide for themselves. God met their needs supernaturally each day by providing manna from Heaven. Each day they would awake to one day's portion of what they needed. This was a season in their lives to learn dependence and the faithfulness of God as provider.
By and by, they entered the Promised Land. When they did, God's "supernatural provision" was no longer required. "The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan" (Josh. 5:12). In both cases God was the provider for the need.
For most of us, we derive our necessities of life through our work. Like the birds of the fields we are commanded to go out and gather what God has already provided. It is a process of participation in what God has already provided. Sometimes it appears as though it is all up to us; sometimes it appears as though it is all up to God. In either case we must realize that the Lord is our provider; our jobs are only instruments of His provision. He requires our involvement in either case.
"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Acknowledge the Lord as the provider of every need you have today. He is a faithful provider.
(c) Marketplace Leaders
Os Hillman is president of Marketplace Leaders, an organization whose purpose is to raise up and train men and women to apply Biblical faith in the workplace. His email address is os@marketplaceleaders.org.
|
