In a world gone terribly wrong, God’s people need to be reminded again and again that the God of the Bible will provide for their every need. Whatever situation the Christian finds himself in, God will surely show up and care for him. This promise is anchored in Scripture and can almost go without using any sort of proof text for making such a statement. But sometimes matters will arise that necessarily do need a proof text, for surely the Bible is about much more than proving a theological position.
When someone is down and out, when someone is struggling to make ends meet, when someone is finding it difficult to persevere as he seeks to find a job, and when someone is in the midst of a challenge in which he needs to know that God is working, it can be common for the Christian to believe that God is in the midst of it all. However, when the Holy Spirit takes a simple passage in the Bible and impresses it on the heart, there is a peace and assurance that is given that goes far beyond trying to prove a point of Scripture.
God will provide for His people. This is an absolute fact, and the whole of Scripture attests to this reality. If someone wants to prove that at one point all the people of the land spoke the same language, then at a later point in time there were many languages, where would he look? He would find proof in the story of the tower of Babel. If someone wanted to look and see if God provides for His people, where would he look? He would look all over the Bible!
From the very beginning, God’s creation was a provision for man. After sin, God promised that He would provide a solution for man’s sin. During the days of Noah, when sin ran rampant in the earth, God provided grace and saved humanity from absolute destruction through the life of Noah.
When Abraham was told to offer his son Isaac, sure enough, God provided the substitute, and the Scripture says, “And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh [“the Lord will provide”]…” (KJV, Gen. 22:14). Listing example after example, story after story, would prove to be rather easy, since a provider is Who God is.
The people of God need to come back to this reality. They need to be reminded of this fact. God will provide for the needs of man; man need not fear. Look at the life of Joshua and see for yourself.
Lift up your eyes and look!
In Joshua 5:13-15, the Israelites had already departed from Egypt, they had already crossed over the Jordan, and they had already entered into the new land. However, they had not yet fought in any battles, and Jericho was before them. Simply put, the people of God needed God’s help. They realized that they would not get far apart from God’s intervening for them as He did when Moses led the people.
In the middle of what had already taken place and what would take place in the near future, Scripture says, “And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked…” (Josh. 5:13). What did Joshua see? When he lifted up his eyes and looked, what was before Him? Was it a band of soldiers from Jericho? Was it death approaching his front door? We will get into what he saw in a moment. For now, let’s take a look at what some others saw when they looked.
We recently touched upon Abraham and his offering of Isaac. As Abraham was about to offer his son, Scripture says, “And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in thicket…” (Gen. 22:13). When Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, what did he see? He saw God’s provision.
A time arose in the life of Elisha and his servant when an army was approaching them to seize Elisha. By worldly standards, it appeared as though they were done for. However, Elisha did not fear the report of this army, while his servant did fear. What was the difference? Elisha saw what the servant did not. Scripture says, “… Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha” (2 Kings 6:16-17). When the servant opened his eyes and looked, what did he see? He saw God’s provision in the midst of his situation.
God will meet the needs of His people in whatever situation they find themselves.
God is for us!
When Joshua lifted up his eyes and looked, Scripture says that he saw “… a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand…”(Josh. 5:13). Then it says, “Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come”(Josh. 5:13-14). God’s provision met Joshua’s need.
Joshua was about to go to war. He needed the help of God in the midst of battle. Would God show up and provide for Joshua’s need, or wouldn’t He? Sure enough, God sent a commander of His army to meet with Joshua and to assure Joshua that God was with him.
Scripture is packed with references concerning God’s abiding presence. In the book of Joshua, God’s abiding presence is a focal point and one that gets strategic attention. At the outset of the book, after Joshua assumes command of the people, God tells Joshua, “…the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest”(Josh. 1:9). This fact is foundational to the book itself and to the events found in Joshua’s life.
Joshua gained much courage from the fact that God was with him. In the case of the battle of Jericho, yet again, God assured his faithful follower that the battle was the Lord’s and that He would provide the victory.
Praise His holy name!
What was the response of Joshua? Scripture says, “And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so” (Josh. 5:14-15). When Joshua saw God’s provision, what was Joshua’s response? It was worship. When the people of God see God’s provision, what must our response be? It should be worship.
The Christian can take matters a step further than what is presented in the book of Joshua. The people of God, on this side of the cross, have the Word of God before them in its entirety. We can see God clearly revealed in His Word. There is no good reason to doubt that God will provide. The reality is that when someone doubts God’s provision, it is a lack of faith.
The Christian must not praise and worship God only when he sees God’s provision. The Christian must worship and praise God in expectation of God’s provision. God is worthy to be praised, and it gives Him great honor when His people worship Him in faith, not simply when they get their prayers answered or when their needs are met.
God will provide. God will provide just as He did for Abraham, just as He did for Elisha, and just as He did for Joshua. Lift up your eyes and look – God is for us!
Final prayer
Father, I thank You that I can trust in You as my Provider. You truly are a good Father to me, and I pray that You would help me to never forget this fact. You have given me the greatest gift You could give in Your Son. Why should I believe that You will not give me lesser gifts and provide for my needs in these other areas, too? In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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