Plenty of Provision

Our previous blog post talked about hospitality from a position of plenty rather than want. Today, let’s take that one step further and discuss how a mindset of plenty applies to the rest of material life.

What if you can’t find enough chicken or ground beef in the store for all the meals even for your family this week? What if your job is in jeopardy and you aren’t seeing future financial stability? What if the economy does collapse?

My sister had this to say after reading that previous post:

“I think the most important thing for me to remember is that whatever I have IS enough… [When] thinking about how to feed my family or how to make the house payment, I have to get to a point where I can believe that if I can’t make my house payment or feed my family, THEN, in that moment, I still have enough. Whatever He gave me is enough…because that is the circumstance [in which] God has put me in that moment, and if He’s sovereign over what I have, then what I have IS plenty.”

Amen! God is not blind or absent. None of the circumstances in our lives or around the globe are a surprise to Him. His supply chain is not unexplainably interrupted. Our needs are well within His capability.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 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! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. (Luke 12:22-31)

Scarcity or Plenty

When God gave the Israelites manna (Exodus 16), it was daily bread. But the temptation to save some for later, just in case, was strong, and some did stash a little away, in vain.

If we don’t trust that we have enough, we will keep scrambling. We can’t enjoy what is in front of us because we are concerned for tomorrow. Our confidence, or lack of confidence, controls our actions and our attitudes. When, with childlike faith, we trust God’s provision, we can eat with pure gratitude. When we feel the weight of provision on our shoulders, we will worry and work on our own Plan B.

Have you ever invited guests for dinner and then worried and stressed about the menu and the quantity of food? What if it doesn’t come out perfectly? What if it isn’t more than enough? What if no one likes what is served? By the time you open the door and welcome anyone in, you are a distracted, disturbed mess.

Well, here’s the deal: No one will starveLet’s start there. Our homes are filled with food. This is not a starving-child-on-your-doorstep situation. No one sitting at the table is unable to eat as needed. With that said, every single dish eaten is a bonus!

Furthermore, the feast is the fellowship. We could fast together in relative comfort and great relational joy. Don’t let that get lost in the recipe details. Sharing the table is primarily about the people, not the presentation.

So plan your menu and work the plan. Use your hostess skills wisely. Take what you have and share it graciously, knowing that all you have is a gift from God to be thankfully enjoyed in every moment. And whether you burn the broccoli or perfectly bake the brownies, remember that God’s provision for His children is more than enough for each and every day.