Philippians 4:19 “My God will
supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.”
Continuing Pastor Kyle message on God’s Provision: The
second thing to remember about how the
miracle of provision works is (2) Bad things still happen to those who trust
God. Somehow, we get the notion that no believing Christian should ever get
sick or life should never get worse, just improve and get better. Again,
provision is not prosperity. But the truth is that since original sin, we live
in a fallen world that is aging, decaying, experiencing natural disasters and ravaged
by crimes, wars and tragedies this side of Heaven. Keep a light hand on this
world and love one another because justice and true paradise are to come in
glory. Matthew 5:45 “In that
way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives
his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and
the unjust alike.” Life is good because God is good and in control.
Job 10:12 “You
gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched
over my spirit.”
(3) God will work good out of the bad. In the Bible verse Romans
8:28 “And we know that God
causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to
those who are called according to His purpose”, we find the
miracle of faith is looking at bad moments up-side-down. My priceless cousin
Laura, in battling cancer, said that we need to “Flip” the situation and look
at it in reverse. Instead of asking: Why did this happen to me? In knowing of
our salvation, that God is working His good in and through our situations, and
the eternal perspective of heaven as our final destination, even when we may
not see it at the time, we can flip it and say: In a fallen world, why would
this happen to me and I’m glad that it happened to me instead of my loved ones.
I wonder what God is going to bring about on this trial. We have blessed
assurance on our side because of Jesus.
Ephesians 2:1-6 “And you were dead in
your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the
spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too
all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even
as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great
love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our
transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been
saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the
heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Kyle gave us two questions to consider about the miracle of
provision. (1) Is there a step of obedience God wants us to take today? In all
of our life and in everything that we think, say and do, trust God and align
our definition of blessing with God’s definition. We find contentment in doing
what God is asking us to do, even our finances and giving. Malachi 3:6-7 says, “I the Lord do not change. So
you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. Ever since the time of
your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept
them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.
(2) Is the miracle something God wants to do in my circumstances or in my
heart? If God doesn’t get you a miracle, then He wants you to go be a miracle
to someone else. Trust and put the kingdom of God first. Your heavenly Father
Lord God provides in spite of ourselves (a sinner saved by grace). We need to
change from running “from” God to running “to” God, and always remember Jesus’
sacrifice for us - our greatest provision.
Hebrews 11:39-12:2 “And
all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what
was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so
that apart from us they would not be made perfect. Therefore, since
we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay
aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on
Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured
the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of
the throne of God.
Our prayer is not for God to give us more than we need, but
to meet all of our needs.
In Christ, Brian
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