Building a deep dependence on God’s provision

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Matthew 6:26

The famous missionary Hudson Taylor knew what it meant to trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:

Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning…. He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all…. Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.

As Christians living in a time and area of the world characterized by unprecedented wealth, it can be easy sometimes to take our attention off the fact that everything we have comes from God. Yet the truth is that we are just as dependent upon God for the shelter over our heads and the food on our plates as the poorest person who’s ever lived. We just tend to be less aware of it!

There are times, however, that you become keenly aware of your dependence on God for life. When it doesn’t look like there’s enough money in the bank… or when it seems like you won’t be able to cover your basic expenses, you’re forced into a place where you have no other choice than to trust that God is going to provide for you.

God knows your need. He knows when you’re struggling to make ends meet. He knows the stress that comes with uncertainty about whether or not your expenses will be covered. So take heart. He cares for His creation and will care for you, too!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to drive you to a deeper dependence upon His faithfulness to provide for your every need.

Questions for Thought

How does living in a culture that praises ‘self-made success’ impact your trust in God for His provision?

How would your life be different if you completely surrendered to God’s provision?