We live in a culture of instant gratification. If our stomach growls, we can open the fridge and eat whatever we’re in the mood for. If we miss a far off loved one, we can close the distance gap with merely our fingertips on our phone screens. We don’t even have to wait weeks for mail to arrive with Amazon’s 2-day shipping. We live in a culture of instant gratification – where we can get what we want when we want it.
God is not of our culture. The miraculous, everlasting Father doesn’t play by our rules and instead, is counter-culture to our society. Yes, He is the ultimate provider who gives and blesses; however, He follows his own divine schedule. It amazes me how quick we are to doubt the Lord’s provisions and promises. God – who controls the tides of the oceans, breathes life into man, holds the planets in his hand – can’t provide me with a thousand dollars this month for my mission fund? That’s ABSURD. We would be foolish to think that! …and yet I do it all the time. And I bet you’re guilty of it, too.
The Lord sticks to his word. His scriptures are overflowing with promises He made that were fulfilled or will be filled. I’m reminded of the story in Exodus 16. A quick recap of its context: the enslaved Israelites (God’s people) have finally escaped Egypt with Moses as their leader. With the Egyptians hot on their tails, they reach the Red Sea, which God literally SPLITS so that the Israelites can walk through safely on dry ground. The Egyptians drown in the sea behind them. Next, the Israelites are traveling through the desert with dry, parched lips from three days without water. When they finally come across water, it is too bitter to drink. While they grumble against Moses, God changes the water so that it is okay to drink. After some time, the people are led to a place with 12 streams of water! In Exodus 16, the Israelites begin grumbling against Moses yet again because they are hungry. They even go as far as to say they wished they had died while in Egypt because at least there, they were surrounded by endless food that they could eat whenever they pleased. Once again, God provided for his people by sending down bread from heaven every day. Not for a week. Not for a month. BUT FOR 40 YEARS. Say whaaaaat?! If that isn’t loyal provision then I honestly don’t know what is.
The Israelites constantly went back and forth between trusting and doubting God’s deliverance. As soon as they were in need of something, they turned their back on trusting that the Lord would supply it to them. Yet He always did! They would praise his goodness and sing songs of his blessings. Then, just like clockwork, a new need would arise and the cycle of distrust would start all over again. Whenever I read this Old Testament story I laugh at how ridiculous the Israelites are. God is literally leading them, sustaining them, and answering their prayers, even while they complain and doubt. Why would God free them from being slaves in Egypt, split a sea in half for them to safely cross, and purify bitter water for them, only to suddenly have them die from something as trivial as lack of food? It’s preposterous to think that God would astoundingly get his people that far, and then ignore their basic, human need for food. Those silly Israelites!
But aren’t we exactly like them?
Here I am, merely two months after committing to going on the World Race, and I’m already questioning whether God will provide the funds that will allow me to go. Extraordinarily, He keeps supplying me donations through people whenever I begin doubting and murmuring against him. When I came across bitter water (my first fundraising event – which was much smaller than I was hoping it’d be) and felt disappointed, He made it into nourishing water by surprisingly doubling the funds I anticipated making and having the fundraiser be a great success! When I came across a dry season of no water (donations), God suddenly blessed me with many streams of water, as family, friends, and strangers shocked me with generous checks. So now, whenever I start to get “hungry” for my World Race fund to grow, I can have confidence that God will provide the bread from heaven to sustain me. Just like for the Israelites thousands of years ago, it won’t be in the form of big baguettes, but it will be just enough for each day. Besides, if He can rain down bread daily for 40 long years, He can easily supply one of his willing servants with the money for her to share His name around the world.
Everything is in his timing and I am leaning into his promises and provisions. He would not have gotten me this far in my World Race experience only to abandon me in my time of need for support raising. And He would not have gotten you this far in whatever it is you’re experiencing, only to abandon you in your time of need as well. We worship an infinite, all-powerful, all-supplying, counter-cultural, and incredibly giving King! Throughout our complaining, grumbling, and doubting, He is at work and preparing ways to meet our needs.
Christmas just ended the other day and I’m astounded by the Father and his love. He loved the entire world that He created, and every person in it, so much that He sent his son down to earth. Now before I get all John 3:16 cliché on you, I want you to consider this: God loved his Son Jesus so much that He gave him the world. We, as believers, are invited to join in on this radical love and God’s plan to make Jesus known throughout the entire world. God’s promise all-along is to bring every nation to Jesus’ feet as Lord of all, and He loves us enough to give us a place in that plan. How incredible is that?! I thank God for giving us his Son and providing us with the ultimate blessing – no longer being separated from him, but having a real, personal relationship with Jesus.
I encourage you to stop doubting that God will provide. He already has and will continue to do so. It may not be exactly when we want him to or expect him to, because we don’t serve a God of instant-gratification, but a God of promise-fulfilled provision. Whatever season of life you are going through right now, remember that He is in control and has the power to split the sea, sweeten the bitter water, and provide nourishment for the duration of the desert wanderings. He will provide.
