Posted by Charlie on Jan 9, 2010 in
Devotions Scripture: Genesis Genesis 23, 24; Luke 9
And they all ate and were satisfied. And what was left over was picked up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.
Luke 9:17
Observation
The miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry is presented so strongly in Luke’s gospel. Through his miracles Jesus revealed a number of very important truths about who he is.
In the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus performs a creative miracle which demonstrates his deity. He starts out with a kid’s lunch, feeds five thousand men, plus women and children, and ends up with more leftovers than what he had when he he started.
Application
It’s so easy to get my perspective locked into the limited resources I have around me, and forget that Jesus is able to take the lunch roll I’ve got in my sack and turn it into something amazing. In the disciple’s case, they later argued about forgetting to bring bread, and Jesus chided them, “What’s wrong with you guys? Don’t you remember feeding the multitude? Don’t you understand?”
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for the reminder that you are God, and you are able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all I am able to ask or even imagine. I offer you the meager resources I have today and ask you to please do with them what only you can do. In your holy name, amen.
Tags: miracles, provision, resources
Posted by Charlie on Jun 16, 2009 in
Devotions Scripture: 1 Kings 17, 18, 19; Colossians 2
“And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”
1Kings 17:4
And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”
1Kings 17:7–9
So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.”
1Kings 17:12
The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.
1Kings 17:16
Observation
God is constantly in the process of teaching his children about provision. I think our tendency is to assume that we understand how God is going to provide for us, and then we get confused and discouraged when it doesn’t happen the way we think it will.
God commanded Elijah to go to the Brook Cherith, and he would drink there in spite of the drought. For a time the water in the brook lasted, and then it ceased. When the Israelites faced this scenario in the wilderness, their response was to grumble and blame God rather than to thank him for his continued provision. In Elijah’s case, God sent him to a widow in Sidon, and God told Elijah that he had commanded the widow to provide for him. It’s interesting to note that God failed to inform the widow that he had commanded her to provide for Elijah! Nevertheless, God caused supernatural provision to flow adequately through a person who seemed the least likely candidate to be a provider.
Application
The big lesson from Scripture is always that God alone is the source of my provision. That doesn’t mean I have license to sit on my hands and expect God to rain dollars from heaven. But it does mean that I am not restricted by tight economic times, or the natural resources of any organization or customer base. I’ve seen God bring provision out of left field too many times to doubt that he is my source, and he possesses all the resources of heaven. If I remain grateful and faithful as his steward, and look to his hand, not being discouraged because a particular brook has dried up, he will bring adequate provision from somewhere—perhaps the most unlikely place I can imagine.
Prayer
Father God, thank you that you care so faithfully for my needs. Please give us this day our daily bread. Please help me keep your kingdom first, knowing that you know the things I need. I thank you for your provision and look forward to seeing what you will do in these unstable times of drought to bring forth water and bread for every good work. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Tags: provision, resources
