I hope your Thanksgiving celebration was a refreshing time for your soul. Was your table loaded with your favorite foods? Did you feel like the disciples picking up after the loaves and fishes meal with their twelve baskets of leftovers?
For the last several years, our family has prepared the Thanksgiving meal and transported it to the assisted living facility where my grandmother lives. She can no longer come to us, so we bring Thanksgiving to her.
Nana is ninety-five years young and she has plenty of life left in her. She’s a sweetheart of a southern woman and she would never ask the family to do what we do for her. She’s really not aware of all that goes into bringing the feast to her. She doesn’t have the capacity to ask people to bring her favorite food or arrive at a certain time. Even so, the wonder of our family Thanksgiving celebration is a well-coordinated effort to ensure she lacks nothing on this special day.
A few days after our feast, I felt the Holy Spirit awaken me to this truth: If our family knows how to honor my grandmother and meet her unspoken needs, how much more is God willing and able to supply what I need. Here are the verses that began to flood my heart:
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10
So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. Matthew 7:11
If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Romans 8:31b-32.
The members of our family love my grandmother by. However, our love for her can’t compare to God’s love for her … and for you … and for me.
God’s generous love far exceeds what even the most sanctified Christian is capable of offering. He is perfect love. He is the God who sees what we need. With His unlimited resources, He can supply all our needs. With His unlimited power, He can move heaven and earth to deliver encouragement, words of wisdom, protection, fellowship, wealth, and every other good thing.
Supernatural Supply
In the Bible, we find God intervening in amazing ways to supply His people with the good things they need and in some cases want. Here are just a few examples:
- Daniel was endowed with the supernatural wisdom needed to fast and also to interpret the king’s dream. He was also protected from sure death while in the lion’s den. (Daniel 1, 2, 6, 10)
- Gideon was clothed with strength like glove in order to succeed in battle. (Judges 6)
- Miriam had the courage to protect Moses and knowledge how to do it. (Exodus 1-2)
- Elijah was fed by ravens and later was fed by a poverty-stricken widow. (1 Kings 17)
- The destitute widow’s sons were saved from slavery and her debts were paid when Elisha intervened. (2 Kings 4)
- Jehoshaphat was given a specific battle plan to win the battle against three fierce enemies. (2 Chronicles 20)
- Joshua was endowed with the power and authority to make the sun stand still in order to accomplish his God-given mission on the battle field. (Joshua 10)
- During a severe famine, four men with leprosy plundered the camp of the enemy and shared the wealth with the Israelites. (2 Kings 7)
- Jarius’ daughter was resurrected from the dead. (Mark 5)
- The Israelites’ shoes never wore out. Instead of starving, they ate the food of angels (manna) in the wilderness. (Exodus 16; Deuteronomy 29; Psalm 78)
- The prodigal son asked His dad for a job, but instead he received complete restoration as his son. (Luke 15)
- The barren Shunammite woman honored Elijah, the man of God, by building an addition to their home so he would have a place to stay when he visited. Elijah looked for a way to bless her for her kindness to him. He asked her what she wanted and she never mentioned her desire for a baby. Elijah inquired of his servant who revealed her need of a child. Elijah prophesied she would have a baby by the next year and she did. (2 Kings 4)
This list could be so much longer. I hope your mind is flipping through the pages of the Bible looking for more examples of God’s amazing provision to those in need.
Cry Out for His Help
The love of God is generous and so very helpful. He is extravagant. He promises to be there for the needy.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles. Psalm 34:5-6
What part or parts of this verse speak to you right now? I’m captivated by the cause and effect in the first phrase. When we look to Him (seek Him, ask Him) for help, the results will bring joy!
In this season of my life, I have many more opportunities to rely on God than I did before. It is a real stretch of my faith to expect Him to be generous to me and fulfill His promise to provide so I lack nothing. I’ve learned to pray His Word more intentionally and I’ve seen Him perform His Word in my life in incredible ways. I am more confident in His faithfulness today than I ever have been. I’ve asked for more faith — so many times — and He is supplying it. Hallelujah!
He has provided a lifestyle of abundance for His children. The thief certainly shows up to steal, kill, and destroy … but God. He sent Jesus to make sure we could be satisfied in this life. Thankfully He knows what will truly satisfy us. (John 10:10)
Let’s pray about this together. Maybe my prayer below will be the start of a whole new conversation between you and God.
Lord, we ask You to increase our faith in Your generous love and faithfulness to provide what we need. Help us to believe You delight to deposit good gifts in our lives. Open our eyes. Help us to recognize the blessings You’ve delivered to us even though we were unable to ask You for the gift. You are kinder than we imagined.
Let our faith in Your generosity be released through our words. Ignite us, Lord, to ask for what we know we need from You.
Thank You for the body of Christ. Thank You for using them to make sure we know that You see us. Thank You for giving us glimpses of Your goodness as they smile, call, text, hug, serve, sacrifice, and supply even our unspoken needs.
Forgive us, Lord, for worrying about lacking what we need. In Jesus name, we resist the spirit of fear. We declare that in Jesus, we are free indeed from unbelief. We fix our eyes on You. We desire to know Your heart toward us more fully.
In Jesus, we believe and pray.
Amen