The God who Provides
God who Provides
Deuteronomy 8:11-20
“But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is given you power to make wealthy, that he may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
When something becomes familiar, it becomes easy to take it for granted. Every day we get up, walk across the house, get some food out of the refrigerator, grab a cup of coffee, and have breakfast as we read the morning news on the internet. Every day we do these activities without a single thought. We just take it for granted. It is certainly not something we think about giving thanks to God for these things. Yet when tragedy strikes, and we no longer can walk, the thing we took for granted is a cherished ritual we wish we could perform. For a person who must relearn to walk, simply getting up to walk to the refrigerator is a motivating dream, and the day they can accomplish this simple task is a day of great rejoicing.
In Deuteronomy 9, God warns the people about losing sight of who is the source of all things. While they were in the desert, struggling in the heat, they longed for the day when they could enjoy the fruit of the land and the blessings of enjoying prosperity in the land. But therein lies the danger. When they arrive in the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, they can easily forget that it is God who provides all these things.
Throughout the pages of scripture, we are told of the providential care of God. God delights in caring for his creation and his people. Everything we have ultimately comes from the God who provides. James writes, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Anything good in our life, any blessing, no matter how small and insignificant, comes from the hand of a gracious God who provides for us.
However, instead of seeing the providential care of God, we start to elevate ourselves. Instead of giving thanks to God, we begin to attribute to our strength and ability what we have accomplished, what we have attained, and who we have become. Our natural tendency is to take the praise of God and turn it into the praise of man. Instead of seeing God’s hand in our daily provisions, we look to ourselves.
In this passage, God reminds the people that he provides all things, and we are to trust in him for all things. Just as he was the one who provides for us when we are going through the trials of a wilderness, he also provides for us when we are going through the times of blessing and prosperity. This is what leads to a life of praise. When we grasp that all things come from him, we will naturally praise him continually, especially when everything seems to be going well. When life is going well for you and seems to be “coming up roses,” spend time thanking God for every blessing you enjoy. Conversely, when life is difficult and hard, we can still be thankful, for God is still providing for us. At times, in his wisdom, he gives us a land of milk and honey. At other times he gives us manna when we are in the wilderness. Consequently, we can praise him and be thankful for all things. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy Name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm103:1).
Deuteronomy 8:11-20
“But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is given you power to make wealthy, that he may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
When something becomes familiar, it becomes easy to take it for granted. Every day we get up, walk across the house, get some food out of the refrigerator, grab a cup of coffee, and have breakfast as we read the morning news on the internet. Every day we do these activities without a single thought. We just take it for granted. It is certainly not something we think about giving thanks to God for these things. Yet when tragedy strikes, and we no longer can walk, the thing we took for granted is a cherished ritual we wish we could perform. For a person who must relearn to walk, simply getting up to walk to the refrigerator is a motivating dream, and the day they can accomplish this simple task is a day of great rejoicing.
In Deuteronomy 9, God warns the people about losing sight of who is the source of all things. While they were in the desert, struggling in the heat, they longed for the day when they could enjoy the fruit of the land and the blessings of enjoying prosperity in the land. But therein lies the danger. When they arrive in the promised land, a land flowing with milk and honey, they can easily forget that it is God who provides all these things.
Throughout the pages of scripture, we are told of the providential care of God. God delights in caring for his creation and his people. Everything we have ultimately comes from the God who provides. James writes, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). Anything good in our life, any blessing, no matter how small and insignificant, comes from the hand of a gracious God who provides for us.
However, instead of seeing the providential care of God, we start to elevate ourselves. Instead of giving thanks to God, we begin to attribute to our strength and ability what we have accomplished, what we have attained, and who we have become. Our natural tendency is to take the praise of God and turn it into the praise of man. Instead of seeing God’s hand in our daily provisions, we look to ourselves.
In this passage, God reminds the people that he provides all things, and we are to trust in him for all things. Just as he was the one who provides for us when we are going through the trials of a wilderness, he also provides for us when we are going through the times of blessing and prosperity. This is what leads to a life of praise. When we grasp that all things come from him, we will naturally praise him continually, especially when everything seems to be going well. When life is going well for you and seems to be “coming up roses,” spend time thanking God for every blessing you enjoy. Conversely, when life is difficult and hard, we can still be thankful, for God is still providing for us. At times, in his wisdom, he gives us a land of milk and honey. At other times he gives us manna when we are in the wilderness. Consequently, we can praise him and be thankful for all things. “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy Name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” (Psalm103:1).
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