Well, it’s finally here, 2018 that is, a brand new year to experience life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in the Lord Jesus Christ. A new year with expectations of goodness, and of course, the unknown paths which we will have to traverse as they come upon us. The best plans of ours are many times superseded by the circumstances of unforeseen events either in our lives or other people’s lives.
Each and every Christian reading this is on a journey, most times many at once. Work goals, family goals, and spiritual goals all intertwined together and yet separate at the same time. Detailed planning is crucial to the success of these things, but planning is only the beginning.
One thing about any journey or trip is that you need provision as you move towards your goal. No matter how well we think ahead, something or someone is going to change the parameters of what we need to get us where God has for us to be. It’s like the GPS system we use to navigate to our next destination, it is always having to re-calculate and change the route to get us when and where we are supposed to be, and it may take more gas than we thought.
But what of the unforeseen? What and where will the things which are needful and unknown come from? It would be overwhelming and really impossible to try and come up with those things beforehand. But thanks be to God our Father, the Master of Provision. He has all things worked out already, unknown to us, but well planned by Him. Simply waiting upon us to exercise our faith and move when the inevitable situations arrive.
Adam had everything he needed supplied before he even existed; the garden was perfect and only required his tending and oversight. Noah had everything needed to build the ark to take his family to safety. Imagine the cost of that lumber! Joseph and Mary had gold, frankincense, and myrrh provided to them just before their unexpected journey to Egypt.
We serve a Mighty God of Provision, Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. God has many avenues of provision amply able to supply for us. In Hebrew, another title for God is Jehovah Shamar: this means the God who watches over, like a mother who leans over and watches her child in the crib, attentive to every nuance of need. So too is our Father in Heaven, always providing and looking over us!
Our part in all of this boils down to obedience and faith. We must have the faith to act in obedience to what God has ready to provide for us. Noah moved based upon God’s instruction, despite never seeing rain, and his family was spared. Joseph moved Mary and Jesus without question, most certainly avoiding death. So when you see the unintended, unexpected happen this year, ask God for instruction, then by faith move upon it, understanding the principle of God’s provision. It is already there, just as the provision for my and your Salvation was ordained before the foundation of the world. It took obedience to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and a minuscule amount of faith from us initially in the work of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross, to be born again. But what a mighty thing was accomplished!
Jesus said to take each day at a time, for each day’s troubles are sufficient unto the day, and living in the way He said certainly reduces the stress and anxiety which will follow. Overthinking life’s situations and the solutions to them brings unneeded worry. Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Shamar, Jehovah Rapha. God is, was, and forever will be your Provider, your Watchman, and your Healer. Trust Him, love Him and be joyful in Him. All you need this next year has been set aside in advance for you by Him! Hallelujah!
Penned with the Love of God towards you,
Pastor Mark Miller
The Worship Barn Free Church,
an Independent Spirit-filled body of believers.
Services Every Saturday at 6:00 pm
8201 Angola Road (inside the Dwelling Place)
Holland, Ohio 43538
Phone: 419-877-1035
Email: theworshipbarn@aol.com
