And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:19 (NLT)]
With all the online shopping we’re doing during this time of sheltering in place, can you imagine how busy it is in Amazon’s various warehouses? Even though basic items like hand sanitizer, bleach wipes, disinfectant spray and face masks are on back order, we still can get a vast assortment of products like a package of 9,000 ladybugs (along with a ladybug life cycle poster), a “daddy saddle” for piggy back rides (complete with horn and stirrups), a potty putter for our favorite golfer, or even a talking toilet paper spindle.
As busy as Amazon must be, picture God’s heavenly prayer fulfillment center. Instead of going to customer service, our prayer requests would go directly to God. How He manages to keep those requests straight is a wonder; fortunately, He is in the miracle business. After being processed and approved, our prayers would get sent over to the warehouse for order implementation. God’s warehouse would be larger than any of Amazon’s or Walmart’s and extend further than the eye can see. But, unlike our earthly warehouses, it wouldn’t be filled with sports equipment, electronics, clothing or books. Instead, there would be crates of courage and wisdom, shelves piled high with love and kindness, and bins of patience and forgiveness. Perhaps the angels would be in charge of shipping and receiving. They’d bar code and inventory items as they moved in and out of heaven and nothing would ever get lost or misplaced. Can you imagine an angel driving a fork truck around to various locations to get an extra-large box of faith, a package of humility, or a crate of joy especially ordered just for you? Unlike Amazon, God’s warehouse never runs out of anything and the spiritual needs of those in Jesus Christ will always be filled. Let us remember, however, that while we can give an order to Amazon, we only give requests to God!
Amazon’s warehouse is filled with stuff but God’s is filled with the real necessities of life. While we can’t expect a carton of bleach wipes or Lysol, we can expect that He’ll provide us with all that we truly need: things like courage, strength, forgiveness, faith, peace, wisdom, hope, compassion, self-control, humility, patience, guidance, and salvation. Nothing is ever put on back-order and shoddy substitutions are never offered. Best of all, returns are unnecessary since everything is exactly right. Moreover, on-time delivery is guaranteed; that perfect timing, however, is according to God’s schedule and not ours!
Devotions of the Heart 