Tag: provide

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God’s Math!

The Manna Chef

Have you ever noticed that God has a way of working beyond the limits that you seem to face every day?  When I was a student, one of my favorite subjects was math.  And years later, when I was a classroom teacher, I spent a lot of time teaching math to my own students.  (Any of my former students out there remember writing “I love math!” at the top of your papers?)   

God has been blowing my mind lately with His ability to work outside of the rules of mathematics.  I encourage you today to truly believe that God can move beyond what you see or even what you are used to experiencing.  When we are open to the possibilities that God presents, He can do some extraordinary multiplication (instead of just adding to provide increase).  For anyone struggling with faith to believe that God will provide for you no matter what, I’d like to share a few illustrations of how God moves beyond our limitations.

In John 6:9-14, Jesus took two fish and five loaves of bread and fed over 5,000 people, and there were many more than 5,000 present because only the men had been counted!  Verse 13 adds a bit more emphasis to the revelation of this miracle: there were even leftovers! The Scripture says that “over and above” remained.  The disciples were able to fill twelve baskets with leftovers!  That image amazes me!  They started with very little and had baskets of leftovers?  The people ended up with way more than they even started with.  Have you ever been there?

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God Is Our Source

The Manna Chef

I was sitting here reflecting on the many ways God continues to provide for me, many times without me even realizing it.  I have experienced some difficult seasons in my life, like times when the bills totaled more than my actual income, and it seemed like I was buried in debt.  But God continued to provide for me.  (He always has.)  It was pretty humbling.  I went from being able to write checks to help folks meet their needs to having to borrow a dollar on more than one occasion.  I found myself on the receiving end, and it was really a season of growing in humility.  I simply didn’t have what I desired, and I certainly didn’t have the surplus I was used to having, so I had to allow others to bless me.  

I’ll be honest; that wasn’t easy.  I have always been a giver; turns out, I needed to learn how to receive.  And I had to learn how to trust God to get me through those times.  He continued to take care of me while teaching me how to allow Him to provide and show up in my life and how to make room for others to experience the joy of being a blessing to me.  Whether it was a golden handshake (when God leads someone to place a monetary blessing in your hand) or someone showing up at my door with groceries, God took care of me.  Other times, He allowed income opportunities to make their way to me.  Out of nowhere, there were tutoring jobs and singing gigs, anything to create room for God to provide for His daughter.  You know what?  God always takes care of His own.  Think about the many ways God has provided for you throughout your life.

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Jehovah Jireh

The Manna Chef

Sisters, today I want to remind you that our God really is Jehovah Jireh—He will provide.  I want you to really meditate on that today, because God always takes care of His children.  And He gives us His best. 

Think about how God showed up for Abraham.  Remember that God provided a ram in the bush to take the sacrificial place of Isaac, right?  (Read Genesis 22:1-14 when you have some time.)  Well, today I decided to take a closer look at the timing of God as He allowed that ram to show up.  Abraham had already built the altar and had laid the wood in order.  Then he bound Isaac on the altar on top of the wood, reached out his hand, and took the knife, fully prepared to slaughter his son as a sacrifice to God, yet having faith that he and Isaac would both return from the mountain (see verse 5).

Did you notice that Abraham did all of the work to prepare Isaac to be sacrificed before God showed up with the ram?  I mean, have you ever wondered why Abraham didn’t see the ram before he even laid Isaac on the wood?   And did you happen to notice that Abraham obeyed God rather than ask Him why he’d been told to sacrifice his son in the first place?  Abraham followed the instructions, even to the point of grabbing the knife, and still believed that God would show up.  And of course, God did just that! 

So, Abraham named that place “The Lord Will Provide.”  And it is said to this day, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be seen and provided.” (Genesis 22:14 AMP)

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