God's Provision During Hard Times

I don't think anyone would doubt that we are currently going through financial hard times. I visit Yahoo's news pages regularly and it seems that just about every day there is some doom and gloom story about some aspect of the United States or the world's faltering economy and finances. A new country seems to get added to the financially at risk list every week. People are out of work (hence all the "how to find a new job" and "how to live frugally" articles on Yahoo) and digging deeper and deeper into debt. I just read that for someone in my age bracket they are recommending that I need to save up to 2 million dollars (yes, you read that right: 2 million dollars) in order to have a secure retirement. With my current income and rate of savings that would take a divine act of God.

Does God care about our finances? As someone who is self-employed I often skate very close to the line of economic disaster and have asked myself this question numerous times these last few months. Can I trust that God will take care of my physical needs, no matter what? No matter that the used book market continues to plummet, that quality inventory is becoming harder to find, and the cost of gas, health insurance, and food just continues to climb higher and higher? Can I trust God in the midst of this mess?

I know what the Bible says, throughout numerous verses: Yes. Yes you can trust God. Even with your finances. Even with your physical needs. If He clothes the lilies of the field in splendor, He will make sure you have food for your table and clothes for your body if you ask Him and trust in Him.

But, you might say, I do know what the Bible says, but I need practical contemporary examples sometimes. It's all well and good to read about how God provided manna and quail for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for 40 years, but that happened thousands of years ago. What about today? Are there any modern day witnesses that can stand up and say "yes, God took care of me and my family, and this is how He did it..."?

Actually, yes, there are. Many such witnesses. It is too bad we can not pair each doom and gloom story on Yahoo News with one such true story of hope and God's provision. Just imagine what a different spirit could be gripping our nation now, if we all believed in the hope shining from these modern day witnesses!

When I was feeling down, and wondering if I could trust God to take care of me, I went to my bookshelf to see if I could find any inspirational reading to boost my spirits. I found myself drawn to "His Mysterious Ways" compiled by the editors of the inspirational magazine Guideposts. These true stories were originally published in 1948 to 1987, which is pretty contemporary, I think we would agree. One section of the book is titled simply "God Provides." In the preface of this section the editors make it clear what they believe: "Today God is still in the providing business, as these stories show. When we tell Him what we need and ask for His help, He hears and answers. No deed is too unimportant to bring to Him -- whether detergent for dirty diapers or the maintenance of a balky washing machine. And none is beyond his power -- rain in drought, shade for newly planted crops, or money to pay for a Bible."

The book goes on to share these dramatic true stories of God's simple provision throughout time and in various situations. Here I'll summarize four of these stories.

The first story I'll share really resonated with my used bookseller soul: the seminary student who needed over $2000 to pay a debt, but had only $10 of birthday money. Feeling guilty about spending the money, but drawn anyway, he purchases a book from a used book store. By "chance" this book turns out to be worth over $4000; upon selling the book he pays off his debt as well as his school expenses, with enough left over to purchase a used car. (Lord, you know, I wouldn't mind finding such a book, too...)

There was the poor housewife who was out of detergent to wash her baby's diapers, but didn't have the money to purchase more. She prays and lo and behold, someone advertising a new laundry detergent leaves a sample on her door. (God even cares about dirty diapers!)

A long story (too long to summarize well here) describes a divorced mother of three boys struggling to make ends meet and struggling with feeling depressed and unloved. Multiple times, through different people, God sends her fish (yes, real fish) to fill her freezer to encourage her and provide for her children's physical needs. In time, and through God's intervention, she and her ex-husband reconcile and remarry.

The last story I'll share here really made me chuckle; it was about an older couple with an old barn that needed to come down. The barn was huge and would have been very expensive to demolish and take care of. Their daughter, not unexpectedly, is worried about her parents' health and how they are going to be able to take care of this potentially financial (and physical) hardship. The parents reassure her multiple times that "God will take care of it" and to trust Him. And He did take care of it. The daughter came for a visit and discovered that God had sent a windstorm that not only took the barn down completely, but did it in such a way that neither the equipment inside nor the roof beams (which the father wanted to salvage) were damaged. Yes, God is good!

There are many more stories I could share from Guideposts, but I'll save them for another article. I think we all need some "good news" right about now. God is in control, He loves us, and He will take care of us, if we trust Him.

Blessings!

Source
Editors of Guideposts. His Mysterious Ways.