provision

1 Kings 4 – Here and Now

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“It doesn’t get any better than this.” It’s something we say when things feel good, worries seem to evaporate, and all seems right with the world. Maybe you’ve said it on the beach, during a vacation, at your favorite restaurant, or just someplace with your feet kicked up.

It’s a statement that fits 1 Kings chapter 4, because in this chapter…

It’s easy to assume all of this just happened; that it was just the “luck of the draw.” But remember, 1 Kings chapter 4 is preceded by 1 Kings chapters 2 and 3. The foundation for this current prosperity and peace was laid through a past pursuit of God and a willingness to make difficult decisions for Him.

The “here and now” is a product of the “there and then.” And this “here and now” is the preparation for a future “out there.” One stream flows into the other. A future of prosperity and peace depends on a present pursuit and dependence on God…and the willingness to make the difficult decisions that will align us with Him.

If the future is to be a time when we say, “It doesn’t get any better than this,” we must pave the way in the “here and now” by pursuing God and making difficult decisions for Him…now!

Ruth 2 – More Than a Fable

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Aesop’s fables are engaging little stories that are both entertaining and instructive. The Book of Ruth is both entertaining and instructive, but it’s more than a fable. There we find the story of Ruth, a destitute foreigner and widow, who makes a commitment to her mother-in-law Naomi.

The story also about Boaz, a man who was not only wealthy, but also kind-hearted and wise. Boaz is referred to as a “kinsman redeemer.” This is a relative who steps in to rescue a wife and a family line from being destitute and extinguished due to the death of the wife’s husband.

Ruth is the story of a person in great need, a person of great benevolence, and the sovereign providential God who brings them together. In chapter 1, you see the great need of Ruth. And in chapter 2, you see God providentially introducing her to the benevolent Boaz.

It’s an entertaining story, but what’s the point? The point is this…every person on this planet is a Ruth. We’ve been separated by death from our first husband (God.) We’re destitute and we don’t fit. We strike out on our own to try to provide for ourselves, but we’re unable to do it on our own. We need help. But God wants to introduce us to a Boaz (Jesus) who will show kindness to us and woo us away from our poverty and into His safety and provision.

The question is, will we recognize the overture of our Boaz and will we respond to His invitation to stay with Him, enjoying His protection and provision.

This is not an Aesop fable, but rather an awesome truth waiting for us to grasp and own!

Numbers 27 – Trust Your Provider

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Ever since Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden, where they had everything they could want, people have been working hard to get what they want.

Working hard and acquiring things is not bad in and of itself. You can find many examples in Scripture of God blessing people who worked hard.

The problem is not hard work. The problem is assuming that what we have is a direct result of our efforts, rather than God’s provision. Jesus reminds us of this problem when He reminds us to look at how God provided for the birds. (Matthew 6:25-26)

It is God, and God alone, who provides all we need…as well as so many of our wants. (2 Peter 1:3) (1 Timothy 6:17b) (2 Corinthians 9:8-12) And it makes no difference if the need is large or small. God is the Provider of all…including the health, energy, and ingenuity to do what we do.

God’s provision is the theme of Numbers chapter 27. In the first half of the chapter, we see God providing an inheritance for five daughters of a man who died due to his own sinfulness. (Numbers 27:3) In the second half of the chapter, we see God providing leadership for an entire nation. Some might see the needs of the daughters as less important and pressing in light of the needs of a nation. But God treated both needs with equal care and concern.

This is God’s heart. He longs to provide for our every need. God calls us to work hard, but we should not confuse our work with His provision. May it be our heart to trust His provision. May it be our heart to trust Him.