GOD'S PROVISION

Matthew 16v8-11:

When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. “Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
They discussed this among themselves and said, “It is because we didn’t bring any bread.”
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, “You of little faith, why are you talking among yourself about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread?

*NB: What is in caps below is just done for emphasis

Although the disciples forgot to take bread with them, Jesus reminded them that He would provide for them no matter what- and He reminded them by recalling His miraculous provision for them in the past. Although natural circumstances of provision may SEEM like they come down to us, and may SEEM like they're in our hands, in reality, they're not at all, because our Heavenly Father cares far more about us than He does the birds of the air or flowers of the field. Even when it SEEMS as though we are helpless even to help ourselves, this doesn't matter either because this just makes us like the flowers of the field who have no ability to provide for themselves and yet daily live off of the goodness of a caring God. It is still good to be careful as much as we can, and do all we can to provide for ourselves with the abilities and capabilities that God has given us, but God is not limited by these things, and these things are not the foundation of His provision- only Christ and His power is the foundation.

It is good and essential that we believe the Word regarding this, because if we don't, we will be tempted to compromise our character, the quality and quantity of our service of God, and our treatment of others for the sake of trying to gain provision for ourselves (through only our own ability). We will also be tempted to compromise our faith in God and try to lean and trust more in man's ability to provide for us than God's. If we trust that man is providing for us, then whatever man wants us to do, in whatever manner he wants us to do it, we will do, no matter how ungodly it may be. We will also compromise the purity of our service for Him and also its effectiveness, as we will mould our service for God according to man's views and ways- being motivated by fleshly things such as pride, position, money and power. We will also start to be motivated in our service for God as much out of fear of men as out of love for God, as we will begin to believe that men have as much power as God to determine what will happen next in our lives and whether we will have provision or not. This actually may not only make our service to Him unprofitable, but also unacceptable as God is as concerned with the MEANS of service as its METHODS and OUTCOMES. Furthermore, He is as concerned with the INTENTIONS and MOTIVATIONS of service as much as the finished product and the effect that the service has.

Notice in the passage of scripture above that Jesus' MAIN concern was the SPIRITUAL influence, not the NATURAL concerns. Jesus' main concern was how the YEAST OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES, in other words how the DOCTRINAL POLLUTION of those men would effect the spiritual walk of His disciples (the Pharisees and Sadducees having in mind more the things of men than the things of God). This is because the spiritual world and spiritual influences affectS lives both now and for eternity, whereas concerns about natural provision only affect present things. An inordinate concern (or even allowing natural provision to be our primary concern before any other spiritual concern) for natural provision cannot only negatively affect us spiritually, but actually influences us to be overly concerned and taken up with natural things in general- making us more fleshly than spiritual. This can pollute every area of our spiritual understanding and service for God, and this can lead to great spiritual dangers, including things which attack our faith in God, and cause our very walk with and following after God to be harmed or even shipwrecked.

God will always look after His people's natural's needs, so He wants our main concern to be for His Kingdom and righteous, then all the other needful things will follow:

Matthew 6:
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

If our main concern is natural provision, instead of completely and fervently doing the will of God, then we will actually end up being in danger of not being where the Lord wants us to be or doing what He wants us to do. The Lord will test us in this to see what we really want, and where our hearts are really at (for such things show whether we truly want and love Him or other things instead of, or more than, Him). He will also use such tests to grow us to be more like Him. This is a hard thing, but also a great thing, because it will make us more and more spiritual, and more and more useful to the Lord. Through such things the Lord will look after us in a completely perfect way- ensuring that what is and isn't in our lives is completely right for what He wants for us and for Himself and His Kingdom. The Lord will take away what isn't good for us, and give us what is.

Since the Lord will always completely look after us, no matter how natural circumstances will play out, we can therefore continue to serve Him not only effectively and fervently but in a completely joyful, peaceful and Biblical manner. Yes, this may involve suffering and loss, and this may also be quite painful, but it will be the RIGHT AND GOD-ORGAINED KIND OF SUFFERING AND LOSS (which works Godly character in us and opens us up to experience the entire and perfect will of God for us). This kind of suffering and loss is much better than a spiritual kind of loss- of truth, goodness, grace, justice and love. It is far better to even lose present material things and things of position, power and even influence, than to have those things in a compromised, ungodly, unBiblical, and unfruitful way, and in a way that is more for self than for God. God always led His disciples to follow and serve Him, not follow men, their ways and kingdoms. If we end up following men and their kingdoms or even doing this to a certain degree, we may not suffer natural loss now, but we will suffer some eternal loss later on (whether to a small or great degree). But, if we commit to absolutely and totally following and serving Jesus now, without compromising for natural provision, though we may suffer certain natural loss now (though God will always provide what He knows we need), we will have an eternal and greater gain in the life to come.