Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son. Abraham named that place “The Lord Provides.” And even today people say, “On the Lord’s mountain he provides.” [Genesis 22:13-14 (GNT)]

It’s not easy for us to trust God’s provision; yet, when we trust, He provides. Abraham trusted God to provide and the ram replaced his son as an offering. God provided manna and water in the wilderness for forty years to the Israelites, food for both Elijah and Elisha, wisdom to Solomon, victory to Joshua, and dinner for thousands on a hillside. Why do I have trouble believing He’ll provide me with what I need when I ask?

In this day of fast food, streaming movies, instant messaging, microwaves, and being able to do my shopping from my desk with a click of a computer mouse, I seem to expect God to provide me with my needs as quickly and easily as Amazon. God’s provision, however, like everything else He does, goes according to His time frame, not ours! Moreover, God’s provision requires our trust in it!

It’s not easy to trust God to provide what we need, especially if we’re running on empty! For example, if I’d been the widow in yesterday’s message (“Would You Have Trusted?”), I would have been more likely to trust Elijah if there had been a few days’ supply of bread and oil rather than only enough for one meal. My trust would have waned with a bare cupboard.

Yesterday, I was running on empty and I desperately needed another devotion. I’d sat at my computer and written word after word to no avail. I was left with several half paragraphs, incomplete thoughts, disjointed Bible verses, and a sense of anxiety. “Where are the words for the next message?” I asked. Satan poked me with a dose of fear and doubt and I even wondered if I should discontinue this mission. “Lord,” I cried, “Provide! Please give me guidance and words!”

My fear and that prayer reminded me of the story of Elijah, the widow and God’s provision. My fingers raced over the keyboard and yesterday’s message nearly wrote itself. As I composed it, I realized how little I actually trust in God’s provision; those thoughts brought me to today’s message. See: He really does provide! We just have to stop running around in circles in a panic, pray and trust. Just pray and trust, and understand that God will provide, in God’s time and in His wonderful way.

God’s divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. [2 Peter 1:3 (GNT)]