God Always Provides. It’s in His Nature.

A Story about Peanut Butter

Several years ago when my wife and I were living in Tulsa, OK the church where we were members, First Baptist Tulsa, announced that the following Sunday morning we would be collecting jars of peanut butter for the Caring Center. The Caring Center is a ministry to the homeless and those in need. It is a ministry that I served in for a period of time while we were members. So, when the upcoming collection of peanut butter was announced, my wife and I knew we wanted to give.

However, at that time in our life we also didn’t have much. We went to the grocery store once a month and bought everything we needed for the entire month. We had one jar of peanut butter in our pantry. It had not yet been opened as we had just gone shopping, but we knew that if we gave that jar we would not have peanut butter that month.

On the way home from church we discussed the upcoming collection and our desire to give to it. We knew it wasn’t much, but we decided we would take our one jar of peanut butter and set it on the altar the following Sunday. We also decided that it was okay if we couldn’t have peanut butter for ourselves that month.

Later that same evening we went to a get together for my wife’s sister and her husband at his father’s house. We arrived and gave the typical greetings. Then, something happened. My brother-in-law’s father said to us, out of the blue, “Hey, I’ve got this jar of peanut butter. I’m not going to eat it. Would you like to take it home with you?”

We were amazed. God had called us to give. We made the commitment to make the sacrifice. Then God provided the sacrifice for us. God always provides. It’s in His nature.

A Story about Getting Gas

After moving down to Texas, I began serving on staff at the church where I still serve today. There was a period of time where it seemed like we just kept getting hit from every direction in our finances: car troubles, fence repairs, & doctors’ bills. I honestly can’t remember all of the financial issues. I just remember the struggle. And as they say, “The struggle was real.”

In a moment of weakness, I looked at our budget and thought to myself, “I know where I can get the extra money we need. I can take it out of my tithe.” As quickly as that thought entered my mind, another one also entered it. I felt the Lord speak into my spirit, “Don’t give less to me. Give me more and trust me.” I specifically felt like I needed to increase our giving by $50. Now, this was significant to me. As I looked at our budget I knew that $50 was roughly one tank of gas. (Gas prices were higher at this time.) I thought to myself, “How are we going to have enough money for gas this month?” None the less, I gave what I believed God was calling us to give. Other than my wife, I told no one of this additional gift. No one except our church treasurer would have known that I had given more than normal, but he wouldn’t even see it until Monday morning.

The exact same Sunday evening that I had given the additional $50 in the offering plate, I pulled up to the gas pump at a gas station. It was a gas station that I didn’t typically stop at. As I got my debit card out of my wallet to put it in the pump, a hand reached around the pump and slid their card in instead. It was a friend and a church member. He said, “I felt led to pay for your gas tonight.”

Once again, God called us to give. We made the commitment to make the sacrifice. Then God provided the sacrifice for us. God always provides. It’s in His nature.

A Story about a Ram.

In Genesis 22 God tests Abraham. After being childless for years, God promised Abraham fatherhood. Then he gave him a son with his wife Sarah named Isaac.  Isaac was not only a fulfillment of the promise of fatherhood, but also the beginning of a future promise, that Abraham would be the father of many nations.

But, then God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. A big ask indeed. But, Abraham knew God’s nature. When Isaac asked, “Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham responded, “God himself will provide the lamb.”

As they reached the top of the mountain and Abraham prepared to sacrifice his promised son, God provided a ram in the thicket. Isaac would not be the sacrifice. The ram would die in his place.

God called Abraham to give. He made the commitment to make the sacrifice. Then God provided the sacrifice for him. God always provides. It’s in His nature.

A Story about the Savior

In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were given a choice. Free will. Would they choose obedience to God? Would they choose to worship and love God? Or would they choose disobedience and sin? As it would be, they chose to eat the fruit that had been forbidden and sin and death entered the world. Following the devastation of their sin, every single person in this world has also sinned.

Romans 3:23 tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

God is perfect, righteous, holy, and just. Sin cannot exist in his presence. Death is not only the result of our sin, but it is the required sacrifice for our sin.

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death.”

This necessary sacrifice is great… neither you nor I could make this sacrifice. It is far too great.

And yet, because of God’s great love and provision, it is a sacrifice that we don’t have to make.

Romans 5:8, “But God proves his own love for us in that while were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus came into the world and died for your sins and mine. God provided the sacrifice for us. God always provides. It’s in His nature.