We know that we shouldn't worry though, because God provides. God is the Great Provider. As I read through Luke in my quiet time, I couldn't help but notice how the 12 didn't trust God to provide. In Luke 9, Jesus sends the 12 out to the towns to proclaim the good news and to heal.
He equipped them with the skills they needed. He told them not to take anything with them, no extra clothes, no food, nothing.
They needed to trust he would provide for their needs. The people of the towns were the hands and feet that gave them the food, but God provided the food.
Just a few verses later, after returning from spreading the news (none, by the way, went hungry and didn't return) a crowd of 5,000 gathers and the 12 look at Jesus and ask him to send the people into town for food. Jesus tells the 12 to feed the crowd. The 12 are seriously confused wondering where they will get enough food.
"He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." Luke 9:13 NIV
They forgot that just prior to that, they had left with no food and food was provided. They so suddenly forgot to trust that their needs would be provided for.
But we often forget just as quickly, if not more that God will provide for us. Since we got married, my husband had been working about 50 hours a week about 35 minutes from our home. It was stressful and we knew that he couldn't stay there much longer. We prayed and prayed for something else.
We agreed if he didn't find something by January, he'd quit. Finally something else came up, a manager position in the same store with a better schedule. He turned in his notice the first week in January and made sure everything was set for the new position. After his last day of work at the old position, he had the weekend off.
That Sunday night the new company called to tell him the position they said they were hiring him for, was actually not going to be filled and he wouldn't have a job. Quickly I began to worry about how we would make, we were just barely paying all our student loans as it was. My husband reminded me that God had never not provided before. We reworked the budget and trusted and prayed.
And do you know what?
We had enough. Somehow we had enough. God took our 5 loaves and 2 fish and multiplied it. He stretched it, he showed us how to live on only one income, when we thought it was impossible before.
Then in late February we did our taxes, and we were blessed beyond measure with a return we'd never be close to receiving before!
He's still without a job and is now finishing his bachelor's degree full as a full time online student and it seems like each month another expense is added, and still there is enough money.
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:28-34 NIV
Holly
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