I started another post with Scriptures on God’s provision, but let’s first continue with examples of God’s provision for God’s people. We’ll skip the long list of amazing provisions the prophets received of food and lodging, safety, the waters parting, and supernatural strength and go to the New Testament this time. By the way, I’m not doing this trying to pick examples to make a certain point; I’m just making observations.

Joseph

NEED: guidance — first to marry Mary, then to escape Herod

PROVISION: dreams  (Matthew 1:20, 2:13)

REQUIREMENT: We know that he was chosen by God and a righteous man.

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The people of Israel with every kind of sickness and disease and pain, as well as demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics and the blind, deaf and mute, and also a couple of dead people

NEED: healing, deliverance, resurrection

PROVISION: healing, deliverance, resurrection  (Matthew 4:24, Luke 7:14-15 and many other places)

REQUIREMENT: having a need (we are often told Jesus was moved by compassion), seeking help from Jesus (but not all came and asked for help), and being an Israelite, meaning God’s chosen

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Centurion and the Mother of the Demon Possessed Girl

NEED: healing, deliverance

PROVISION: healing, deliverance (Luke 7:9-10, Matthew 15:28)

REQUIREMENT: faith — They both had great faith. They were both Gentiles.

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Those Following Jesus Listening to His Teaching

NEED: food (seems they had been three days without food)

PROVISION: bread and fish (Matthew 15:37)

REQUIREMENT: Having a need, Jesus was moved by compassion

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Peter

NEED: to pay his taxes

PROVISION: money  (Matthew 17:27)

REQUIREMENT: the faith to obey Jesus’ command to cast a fishing hook into the sea and to look in the mouth of the first fish he pulled up

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New Believers (Acts 2 and also in 4)

NEED: need (“as anyone might have need”)

PROVISION: needs were met by other believers who were supernaturally moved to sell their possessions to meet the needs of others (Acts 2:45)

REQUIREMENT: having a need and being a part of the close community of believers

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The World

NEED: Savior

PROVISION: Jesus

REQUIREMENT: He met the need while we were sinners and didn’t deserve saving, but we receive salvation by faith.

I’d like to start encouraging you in how God provides in every way for His children. We are taught by the world that “God helps those who help themselves”. While the book of Proverbs does say wise things about work ethic and being prudent that every unbeliever should follow, the New Testament offers a deeper understanding of the work required of a believer and of when God “helps.”

Even though I want to get to the New Testament, let’s start at the beginning. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He’s always been a loving Father who will provide for His children everything they need.

Adam and Eve

NEED: decent clothing

PROVISION: God made them animal skin clothing, Genesis 3:21

REQUIRED: Nothing. They didn’t deserve it, but He knew their helplessness and cared for them.

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Abraham

NEED: a sacrifice

PROVISION: a ram, Genesis 22:13

REQUIRED: the faith to obey God’s command to sacrifice his son

Joseph’s Brothers

NEED: food

PROVISION: free food whenever they needed it

REQUIRED: Nothing. The didn’t deserve it, but God wanted to meet their need and display His goodness and be glorified.

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Israelites Enslaved in Egypt

NEED: deliverance

PROVISION: a deliverer

REQUIRED: They called out to God, but God hears and responds because He has seen their suffering and has compassion. Exodus 3:7

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NEED: protection from God’s wrath

PROVISION: flies did not swarm in Goshen, Exodus 8:22; cattle of the Israelites live, Exodus 9:4; there was no hail in Goshen, Exodus 9:26; there was light in their dwellings, Exodus 10:23; not even a dog will bark against an Israelite because God distinguishes between Egypt and Israel, Exodus 11:7; the firstborn among the Israelistes are spared, Exodus 12:23

REQUIRED: being God’s children, having God in their midst (Exodus 8:22), the faith to obey the command to kill a lamb and to spread its blood on the door posts

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NEED: deliverance from Pharoah’s army

PROVISION: the parting of the Red Sea (and its closing back in on Pharoah’s army)

REQUIRED: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (That’s the NIV. The NASB is “while you keep silent.”) This is Exodus 14:14. God tells Moses to stop crying out to Him. God wants Moses to stand in quiet confidence in the Lord. Moses also has to show faith by obeying the command to stretch out his staff. This is not the first time Moses has been asked to stretch out his staff. The Lord has prepared him for this trial. We don’t know how much faith the Israelites had, but they walked across on dry land between walls of water.

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NEED: water

PROVISION: water

REQUIRED: Moses again has to obey in faith (throws the tree branch in the water). The rest are provided for even though they are grumbling, but they are God’s people.

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NEED: food

PROVISION: manna, meat

REQUIRED: Let me just focus on the manna here. There are rules about picking up the manna. But even when those are broken, God continues to provide manna, for forty years. The Israelites continue to show disbelief by their disobedience, but God still provides this basic provision for His people.

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I don’t know if I will continue this exercise or not, but I think I will be continuing on this topic in the next post. I hope it is encouraging to you to think on how the Lord provides for His children.

I hope you see how the Lord takes care of His children. He provides food and covering for them even when they don’t deserve it. He acts in compassion for His children when He sees them suffering. He doesn’t require saying “the magic words,” faith formulas of proclaiming His provision. He wants quiet confidence displayed in acts of obedience.