My Provider

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret to being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

I can definitely say I have been on both sides of this. I remember sitting on my couch in the dead of winter, snuggled up with my 3 girls, holding a flashlight because we had no heat and we had no electricity. I remember boiling water so my kids could take a bath. I remember having no water at all and sneaking to an empty house to use the hose to get water.  Those days were bad, but we survived. The Lord gave me the strength to be content while in need.

Now we are able to pay our bills, put gas in our vehicles, buy groceries and clothes for the girls. I have a husband who works hard to provide and loves my girls like they are his own. We even took our first big family vacation. We are content. Right now we have plenty.

I can honestly say that during both of these seasons in my life, the Lord was providing for my every need, even though it didn't look like what I thought it should look like. Things were rough, but I trusted Him and He came through.

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!  Luke 12:24

We have to trust the Lord to provide for us (Philippians 4:19). He will do what He says He will do (Numbers 23:19). We have to understand that material possessions are not the answer and live our lives free from the love of money and be content. The Lord says He will never leave us or forsake us and He means it (Hebrews 13:5). He never promised to meet our wants, so if our focus is more on what we have and what we can get, we will never be satisfied (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

So if you have a need, trust God. He will provide. It may not look like what we think it should look like, but God knows exactly what is best and will give accordingly (Romans 8:28).