Bible and Provisionনমুনা

When the stream dries up.

Sometimes, God does not provide what you have asked Him for. Where is God then? Where are the promises of provision? Sometimes, the flow of God's blessing seems to have dried up. We all know times of want, sickness, and mental distress. Sometimes, it looks like the sky is made of stone, and your prayers seem to bounce back.

Sometimes, God withholds something you prayed for. That is another dimension of God's provision. Maybe it’s not good for us, the timing is wrong, or He may have something better in mind.

God has an eternal and perfect perspective on my life. He sees it front and back. As a Heavenly Father who wants to be intimately involved in my life, He wants only the best for me. His goal is for me to grow towards Jesus and become like Him. Jesus' life was marked by self-denial and suffering. He was equal to God, but He did not insist on it. He emptied Himself and became a servant. He was God Himself but allowed Himself to be humiliated, mocked, and wounded. We read that He could handle this suffering because of the joy before Him. He knew that God's ultimate, universal plan was most important.

The Bible says that testing our faith as children of God brings perseverance and produces spiritual fruit. Can we be patient and wait on God’s timing?

The name "Habakkuk" means "wrestling." I think he wrestled with God over the lack of provision. Yet he knew God and that He also had a purpose in his suffering. The way Habakkuk dealt with a lack of provision was to praise God lavishly and rejoice in the fact that remaining faithful would bring God's salvation.

"It is a great joy to know that God never abandons His children. He guides all who listen to His instructions." –Corrie Ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor and author.

An attitude of gratitude in difficult times opens the door for God to go through with His plan for our lives. Psalm 50:23 says that when we thank and praise God, a door opens so that God can show us His salvation, His way forward. Can you thank God when things are difficult? Can you praise God when you do not receive what you have prayed for? Today's challenge is to thank God even when you are struggling. If you are in a position where you are not struggling, consider when you did struggle. Thank God that He was there for you even then!