Waiting on His Provision
I. Waiting on the Lord
a. Wait – qavah
i. To wait, look for, hope, expect
2 Peter 1:2-3 New King James Version
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
b. This is such a beautiful passage of scripture
i. God’s divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness through what?
1. The knowledge of Him who called…
c. How can we get to know Him?
i. Waiting on, in, and after His Presence
d. Two weeks ago, we explored what it looks like to Expect and Wait on His Presence
i. Waiting ON His Presence
1. Silence, Solitude, Worship
ii. Waiting IN His Presence
1. Worship, Prayer, Silence
iii. Waiting AFTER His Presence
1. Silence
e. Today we will explore what it look like to Expect and thus Look for His Provision
i. Since we receive provision through our knowledge of Jesus, and we know how to begin to get to know Jesus, today, we will discuss what it looks like to wait on His Provision
II. Provision is a BIG DEAL!
a. How much time and energy do you spend making ends meet?
i. Earning money, purchasing food, pay bills, etc…
ii. How many people here feel as if no matter how hard they work, they just can’t get ahead?
b. Those of us who are married, how many fights have you had over money or some area of lack in your lives?
c. There are groups of people in the united states right now, fighting and rioting because they feel as if their needs are not being met.
d. How many wars have started over land or some other resource?
III. Waiting on His Provision
a. Understanding Why God Provides
i. It’s His Nature – knowing Jesus is how we are given all things
1. The disciplines of study and meditation: The first chapter of the bible reveals the nature of our Father.
Genesis 1:11-12 New King James Version
11 Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:20-23 & 26-28 New King James Version
20 Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living [a]creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the [b]firmament of the heavens.” 21 So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over [c]all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that [d]moves on the earth.”
a. God gave us dominion, or stewardship of everything we would need. Food and the natural resources needed for clothes, shelter, and tools.
b. Every natural resource that would be used to supply our needs was blessed with the ability to multiply, not just add to itself, but multiply exponentially.
2. Our Father is a GENEROUS PROVIDER
3. Jesus in the NT affirms this nature when He tells His followers that He came so that we could have abundant lives.
John 10:10 New King James Version
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
a. Exceeding some number or measure of rank or need
i. Over and above, more than is necessary, superadded
1. Exceeding abundantly, supremely
2. Something further, more, much more than all, more plainly
ii. Superior, extraordinary, surpassing, uncommon
1. Pre-eminence superiority, advantage, more eminent, more remarkable, more excellent
4. Our Heavenly Father wants to take care of our needs and our wants. On His terms. He doesn’t want you wasting time and energy worrying about where your provision will come from.
ii. We have such a generous heavenly Father
1. Why am I emphasizing this?
a. You cannot receive from the Father if you possess a poverty mindset
i. Another name for a poverty mindset is the spirit of mammon.
ii. If you are obsessed with whether you have or do not have money, you operate in the demonic spirit of mammon. (Matthew 6:24)
2. You cannot receive from the Father if you doubt His nature. It is double-mindedness.
iii. God provides, so that you are equipped to accomplish that which He has called you to do.
1. Provision – the action of supplying something for use
2 Corinthians 9:8 New King James Version
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.
Matthew 6:31-33 New King James Version
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.
2. God provides so that we can stay on mission.
a. What’s our mission?
Exodus 19:5-6 New King James Version
5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
1 Peter 2:9 New King James Version
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Revelation 1:5-6 New King James Version
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who [a]loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us [b]kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
b. We are called to represent Father God to the people around us and work, in partnership with Holy Spirit, to reconcile them to back to the Father.
i. This is going to look different for all of us. The way we know how we are specifically called to do this is by looking at where God has placed us in life.
1 Corinthians 7:17-24 New King James Version
17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I [a]ordain in all the churches. 18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. 20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. 22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.
ii. What is Paul saying to the church in Corinth? Whatever place you find yourself in now, is the place from which you can walk in your calling.
1. Where do you find yourself?
a. Workplace
b. Family
c. School
c. There is so much more to be said in this regard, but we will save that for another day. For now I’m going to continue to discuss how we wait upon the Lord’s provision.
b. Obeying His Instructions
i. Our Father Provides for Those Who are on Mission, that provision often looks like instructions before it looks like provision.
1. Remember back to two weeks ago, when we discussed waiting on God’s Presence, we looked specifically at Moses and the tent of meeting in Exodus chapter 11 verses 7-11. The people of Israel were given their mission, to become a royal priesthood, and they were on their way to make that happen. During this time, the presence of the Lord was the place Moses went whenever there was a need; direction, food, water, conflict resolution, etc…
a. In the presence of the Lord, Moses would be given instructions, out of his obedience to the Lord’s instructions, provision resulted.
i. Exodus 16 – The people are complaining because they believe they will starve to death.
1. God tells Moses He will provide Manna and gives instructions on how and when to gather it
ii. Exodus 17 – The people complain about not having water
1. God gives Moses instructions to strike a rock for water to come out.
iii. Numbers 11 – the people complain about not having meat, Moses is overwhelmed and tells God he can’t do it alone
1. God tells Moses to gather 70 elders to be filled with the Spirit so they may assist him and promises to provide meat and deal with the Israelites complaining.
iv. Numbers 12 & 16 – Miriam, a prophetess and Moses’ sister begins to speak out against Moses in jealousy. Korah and Dathan lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron the high priest.
1. God strikes her with Leprosy, defends Moses, and after Moses intercedes for Miriam provides instructions for her healing. 7 days outside of the camp
2. Moses allows God to determine who is right and wrong and the Lord destroys the rebellious ones and their families.
v. Numbers 13 – at the border of the promised land the Lord tells Moses how to spy out the land before invading it.
ii. Moses experienced the provision of God, when he was obedient to the instructions of God, received in the presence of God.
iii. How are we supposed to wait on His provision?
a. Obediently
b. Let’s look at a great example from the NT
Matthew 14:14-21 New King James Version
14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
iv. The disciples were on mission with Jesus,
1. Preach the coming of the kingdom of heaven
2. Teach kingdom principles and paradigms
3. Release the power of the kingdom of heaven into the world around them
v. They were in the middle of doing this with Jesus, who was teaching and healing the sick, but then it got late and there was a need that the disciples thought couldn’t be met, so the disciples were ready to give up for the day
vi. Jesus had other plans.
1. You give them something to eat
2. How many of us here, would tell Jesus we didn’t have what we needed to do that and walk away in disobedience?
a. I must have heard God wrong, there is no way I could have done that…
vii. Thankfully the disciples didn’t focus on what they lacked, but what they had
1. Jesus thanked God for it, and multiplied it, and handed it back to the disciples.
2. He didn’t take over, He used His divine power to provide all things needed and gave it back to the disciples and the disciples finished their work
viii. If we consider ourselves followers of Jesus, that means we should be following His lead in our lives. Obeying His instructions.
ix. We cannot say He does not provide, when we refuse to obey when He instructs us.
c. It’s incredibly important to understand that we are on mission, especially when waiting for the provision of the Lord.
i. Whether you know it or not, whether you’re faithful to it or not, as a follower of Jesus, you are on mission.
1. A mission for which you will stand before God and answer to Him. This isn’t only for pastors or those who are called to function within church leadership structures. This is for EVERYONE.
IV. Quick Recap:
a. Waiting on His Provision
i. Understand Why He Provides
1. It is His Nature
2. He Provides to Equip Us to Accomplish the Call on Our Lives
ii. Obeying His Instruction
1. Provision looks like instructions before it looks like provision
V. Knowing What is Available
a. In the NT book of James, we learn that we often have not because we ask not or we ask for the wrong reasons. I believe so many times we don’t experience the provision of the Lord because we don’t realize what is available to us. ALL THINGS!!!!
b. Types of Provision
i. Physical
1. Resources (Matthew 6:33)
a. Food
b. Money
c. Shelter
d. Clothing
2. But this isn’t the limit of His provision in our lives…
ii. Spiritual
1. Grace and Faith (Ephesians 2:8)
2. Gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:3-8, Ephesians 4:7-12, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
3. Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
iii. Emotional
1. Inner Healing (Psalm 147:3)
2. Conflict Resolution (Numbers 12, Numbers 16)
3. Peace (John 14:27)
4. Wisdom (James 1:5)
5. Direction/Counsel/Guidance (Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 30:21, John 16:13)
c. What do you need from the Lord?
i. Come forward, stand up, or turn around and kneel before your seat
1. Repent for adopting a poverty mindset, for partnering with the spirit of mammon
2. Repent for being disobedient to the Lord’s Instructions
3. Repent for forgetting that you have the call of the Lord on your life
ii. And ask God to speak to you once again, to give you instructions, to give you another opportunity to obey Him.
1. He is merciful, full of grace, and patient.
2. When we confess, He is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness.
iii. Determine from now on to spend time in the word, discovering the nature of your heavenly Father, time in His presence hearing His call and obeying His instructions.
