This podcast covers Lesson 9 of Everyday Women, Ever-Faithful God Bible Study and Lesson 5 of The Walk from Fear to Faith Bible Study by Melanie Newton.
Two Widows—Recognize God’s Provision
Think differently about God’s provision for you.
Lesson #1: God’s provision is His to give and take away. Regard it humbly.
Everything we have comes from God.
- There isn't anything we own that we did not receive from God. 1 Corinthians 4:7
- Yet, we humans boastfully live as though we had anything to do with our genetics or privileges at all. When they are stripped away, we resent being stripped of our "rights."
What we have is not a measure of our goodness or our faith.
- How God chooses to provide for you or for me at any time in our lives is His sovereign choice.
- When God removes our comforts and strips away our support, we actually begin to depend upon Him as God Almighty—as essential to our lives, not just an appendage. Don’t let anyone deceive you by equating prosperity with your measure of faith.
God determines our provision—the how, when, and why
- Most of the time, God’s provision is going to come through people, not miraculously appear from the sky.
- God chooses how He provides for His own. We must learn to trust whatever manner He chooses.
Our provision belongs to God. Hold onto it loosely.
"The God who gave the water has chosen to take the water. It's His sovereign right! He gives the child; He can take it away. He gives the business; He can take it away. He gives the house; He can take it away." (Chuck Swindoll, sermon series on Elijah)
Lesson #2: God’s provision is always enough. Receive it gratefully.
The sufficiency of God’s enough
- When you have the Lord’s provision, you lack nothing that you need at this time in your life. It’s what you have, not what you don't have. Rejoice at what you have instead of complaining about what you don’t have. Deuteronomy 2:7; Deuteronomy 8:7-9a
The creativity of God’s enough
- When you receive God’s provision, you learn that He is creative and personal. God doesn't do the same thing for everyone. Both of the widows in the lesson learned to follow God’s directions even when it made no sense. Your hope is to be in your God. Not in prosperity—current or future.
Lesson #3: God’s provision is meant to be shared. Give it generously.
Compassion is not feeling; it is doing.
- It is doing something to ease someone’s pain, whether it’s for this week or more. Most times of need last longer than a day! God’s plan for the needy in Israel was that perfectly good food was purposely left in the fields for the poor to have. That’s being proactive.
Compassion requires trusting God, not having plenty. (2 Corinthians 8:2)
- There is a fine line between good stewardship of the provisions God’s given today and not trusting God enough to be able to share it. 2 Corinthians 8:2
“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.” (2 Corinthians 8:2)
It is not what you'd do with a million, if riches should e'er be your lot. But what are you doing at present with the dollar and a quarter you've got?
Compassion shares God’s riches flowing through us.
- Whether you are the receiver or the giver, how you do both should be different than what the world does.
- God’s riches to us are supplied through us to meet another’s needs.
Compassion is personal.
- Have you experienced the joy of deliberately and delightfully meeting the specific needs of a person with a name and a face you know? It’s love in action.
Lesson #4: God’s provision brings Him glory. Praise Him openly.
- Openly share how God has creatively provided for you in a tough time. As you do so, that is giving Him praise. When you acknowledge that what you have comes from God, whether much or little, that is giving Him glory. Every time you tell about it, thank Him. Ask God to give you frequent opportunity to tell that story and give Him praise.
Whenever there doesn’t seem to be enough, remember our four truths to stand strong in those tough times.
Those are important on your walk from fear to faith.
Joyful Walk Bible Studies by Melanie Newton are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.