God's Provision in Difficult Times

God's provision in difficult times is something that reinforces the Christian's faith. The Almighty promised to take
provisions for our food, clothing, and other needs. He did not create us to leave us to
costs of destiny. Everything that happens in the physical universe, irrational or rational, is under your control and
providence.
The Lord of heaven and earth is a loving Father who takes care of us; who not only preserves the world
who created, as well as provides for the needs of his creatures. If God provides sustenance even for the
but smaller living beings, how will it not provide sustenance for man, created in its image and
similarity?
How to live depending on Divine Providence
1. Do not serve two masters (v.24).
Jesus said: "No one can serve two masters," for they will either hate one and love the other, or
You cannot serve God and Mammon.
In fact, Jesus meant that if someone wanted to follow him, they could not turn to another god. Mammon.
is an Aramaic word, which means riches, which for many are a god.
You either trust in God or in riches. One attitude excludes the other. Trying to accommodate oneself in a dubious life,
seeking to serve the Lord and the riches of this life is a deception that generates anxiety.
2.Not walking carefully:
a) Regarding life (v.25).
Life is a gift from God (1 Sm 2.6). It is a miracle that repeats itself with every birth of a new being. And in
the succession of your moments, as the years go by, problems, difficulties, and anxieties arise. This
is part of living on earth.
Meanwhile, restlessness or worry will never solve the problems. On the contrary, they will only worsen them.
Yes, Jesus taught that we should not be anxious about life. It is better to live like the psalmist: 'The
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Ps 27:1b).
b) Regarding the food.
The Lord urges us not to be anxious about what we will eat or drink (v.25b) and asks: "Isn't it the
life more than maintenance...? This teaching is comforting. Food and water are elements
essential, even indispensable to the survival of human beings on the planet.
The lack of bread and water causes despair for entire populations living in desert regions. The drought in
The Northeast and other regions of our country cause a lot of concern, especially for the poorest.
But the servant of God does not need to despair, allowing himself to be dominated by anxiety.
Jesus said: "Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your Father
celestial as food" (v.26).
In fact, you don't see starving little birds dead out there when they are free. Jesus asked if the...
Wouldn't men have much more value than little birds? With this, I wanted to stimulate faith in 'Jehovah Jireh', the Lord
that provides all things.
In the same text, He says: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying: What shall we eat or what shall we drink?" (v.31).
Read Ps 37:25; Mt 6:11; 1 Th 2:9; 1 Cor 4:12.
c) Regarding clothing (v.28).
God made man in Eden, without garments as known today. However, with sin, nature
was disturbed and God had to cover the nakedness of the sinners. Since then, it is necessary to wear clothing,
whether because of the weather, or because of the modesty required by God.
But the dress is a consumer good that costs money. And many start to worry about this, becoming
anxious. Jesus drew the disciples' attention and commanded them to look at 'the lilies of the field' and
they observed 'how they grow' without working for it.
Adding that "not even Solomon, in all his glory, was dressed like one of them". In conclusion,
The Lord assured that if God clothes the grass, how much more would He clothe the people!
3. Do not walk restlessly (vv. 31, 32a).
Jesus said that worrying about food and clothing is typical of the Gentiles (v.32a). And He affirmed that the Father
Celestial knows that we need all these things, that is, the integrity of the body, food and
clothing, symbols of essential goods.

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To avoid anxiety, the general teaching of the Bible supports the guidance of Jesus, according to Psalm 55:22; Philippians
4.6,7; 1 Pe 5.7. No anxiety withstands a campaign of prayer and fasting, made by the faithful believer, in
amidst the struggles of life.
4. The Kingdom of God first (v.33).
It's to value the things related to God, to the Church, above earthly things. It's to care for evangelization, of the
missions, of discipleship, of helping the needy, of liberating the oppressed by the Devil and everything else that
it pertains to the domain of God.
Let us note that this pursuit should not be irrational, to the point that someone neglects to take care of the family.
fulfillment of duties, to only live in the meetings of the local church. It is above all, a priority
spiritual. We must remember that the Kingdom of God begins in our home (see 1 Tim 5:8).
5. The justice of God first (v.33).
The Lord does not only command us to work for His kingdom, but also to seek His justice. Jesus gave the
example, in the fulfillment of "all righteousness" (Mt 3:15), and taught that our righteousness must exceed that of the
Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees (Mt 5:20).

Thus, we must live in justice and holiness, starting with the relationship with family members, with the
friends and brothers, showing that we live according to God's justice before the unbelievers.
This speaks of the integrity that should mark the Christian testimony, not only before the church leaders but before
of the world (see Php 2:12,13). 2nd Quarter of 2000 - Title: The teachings of Jesus for today's man -
Commentator: Elinaldo Renovato de Lima – Lesson 4: Jesus and the concern for life – Date: April 23, 2000.
Note: Even in the midst of scarcity, we believe that the Lord is powerful to supply, in glory, all our
needs.
The God of Provision
1. No Old Testament.
We found God's provision to feed Israel (Ex 16:15). Thus, we see God acting in nature and in
his creation (Ex 16:13-21; 1 Kings 17:4-6), performing great miracles of multiplication (2 Kings 4:1-7). The occurrence
These signs teach us to depend on the Lord day by day.
In the New Testament.
In addition to the miracles for the provision of food, the New Testament also presents the willingness to
men and women in helping each other, sharing all they had (Acts 4:32-37).
These brothers enjoyed a feeling of unity, which led them to sell their possessions and bring them to the
church, so that the value could be divided according to the needs of the saints (Acts 4:36,37).
What moved them was the brotherly love that Christ taught so much (John 15:9-17). Let us learn, therefore, from the Church of
first century and let us practice generosity and true communion.
3. Currently
God can provide food for His children in any way He wants, but He invites us to be a part of it.
of this glorious mission that is to assist those who go through deprivations (Romans 12:9-21).
The apostle Paul urges us to work to share with those who are going through difficulties (2 Cor 8:14; Eph
4.28), Tiago speaks of faith without works (James 2:14-17), and John of love 'only in words' (1 John 3:16-18).
Throughout our lives, God wants to support those in need. Let us not be negligent with our noble
mission. Biblical Lessons CPAD – Youth and Adults – 3rd Quarter of 2012 – Title: Overcoming the Afflictions of Life
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him from them all - Commentator: Eliezer de Lira e Silva - Lesson
The empty pantry
Note: The Lord always provides a way of escape for His servants when they honor Him and obey His Word.
Doctrinal Argument
The word of God shows that the system of life in the world is corrupt, materialistic, and is found
completely distorted from the will of God, which can be known through the life and work of
Jesus Christ.
The apostle John characterizes this world as a great system of life governed by the 'lust of the...
meat"; that is, all possible and impossible desires that human and carnal nature drives; by
"concupiscence of the eyes", when the physical eyes only desire that which satisfies physically and
materially the human being; the 'pride of life', when the accumulation of material goods becomes the meaning of
all existence (1 John 2:16).

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All these characteristics confirm the fallen nature of the sinful human being. However, the apostle asserts
In verse 17, the world passes away, along with its desires, but whoever does the will of the Father
remains forever.
That is, those who have their mind and heart turned towards God possess the Spirit of Christ and do not let themselves
enslaved by the lust of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life. No longer a slave to the flesh, but
servant available to do God's will forever.
Chaotic Reality
The chaotic reality of this world proves how right the Bible, the Word of God, is in describing the
malignancy and the wickedness in which the modern world finds itself.
A world where there is no appreciation for life, where people prefer to defend the Environment (which is a
legitimate and urgent defense), to defenseless children (abortion release); where a society crushes the
inner spirituality, for its yearnings are oriented towards the cold interest of modern man (a
anthropocentric society); where everything is relativized, the absolutes from a moral and ethical point of view are
ignored in the name of a supposed plurality, even if it is perverse and evil in its
legitimacy; where a society is secularized, as it forces man to live it enclosed in his
private life (one tolerates affection as long as it does not bother).
But it is in this world of crisis and chaos that we are challenged to live the Gospel and walk in provision of
part of God. Our Lord, in the Sermon on the Mount, invites us to be "salt of the earth" and "light of the world", a
lamp that illuminates an entire area shrouded in dense darkness.
Walking a path where God will provide everything that is necessary for our survival as much as
human point of view as well as spiritual point of view.
Note: "I was young and now I am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging for bread."
bread (Psalm 37:25).
Two indispensable things to always obtain Divine Providence
Obedience to the Word of God and work:
Who doesn't wish to have a prosperous and blessed life? It is the wish of every human being and there is nothing of
wrong in being successful. But what does it mean to be prosperous? Although each one has their own definition, for
To answer this question, we must turn to the Holy Scriptures and observe what it means to be successful.
in light of the Word.
Prosperity in Proverbs is directly linked to obedience to the Bible and dedication to work.
In the New Testament, true prosperity is primarily spiritual - very different from what the
admirers of the prosperity theology have preached and taught.
A successful life is not just the result of financial success, but rather the obedience to God,
faithfulness and holiness (Proverbs 3:3,4). As Christians, we can affirm that our riches are and will always be
intangible and never merely monetary.
Currently, believers have been deceived when it comes to prosperity. They tend to equate being
successful in money and material goods. Many are desperately seeking material possessions.
People who despise God
They want to be rich at all costs and end up disregarding God, stumbling and losing our precious good.
our salvation. That's why Jesus warns her in Matthew 16:26. We cannot be influenced by the way of
thinking of this world (Rm 12.2). For some, having has become more important than being. Belonging to
The Kingdom of God is directly related to 'being' — being benign, ethical, compassionate, etc.
We know that prosperity is not only a direct result of man's work and effort, however
Without work, there is no prosperity. Laziness prevents a person from prospering. The lazy man dreams, desires,
more difficultly reaches its objectives (Prov 13:4; 20:13; 23:21). We need to dedicate ourselves to work, for this
it dignifies man.
In Proverbs, we find a series of exhortations to work. The lazy is severely admonished.
Many pray to God, but do not act, do not do their part. God will not do the
our work. The Word of God states that Jesus was a man of sorrows and work (John 5:17). Let us follow the
steps of the Master.
In addition to laziness, let's look at some other obstacles that hinder prosperity:
Lack of commitment, of whole-heartedness (2 Chronicles 25:2);
• Infidelity to God. Not honoring the Lord with our first fruits (Proverbs 3:9,10);
Deliberate disobedience to God (Deut 28:15);

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 Lack of trust in the Almighty.
Conclusion
The history of God's people is marked by miracles and provisions, for the Lord has cared for His people and has
Your zeal is notable. However, we must not forget to practice the love that the Lord Jesus taught us.
(Mark 12:31)
We must not forget that the Divine provision in our lives occurs with a primary purpose which is the
sharing the Divine blessings with others, otherwise, God is not pleased.
The apostle Paul left a rich teaching: "So, while we have time, let us do good to all"
God can and wants to use our lives to relieve the suffering of those around us. Let us assist our
next as we would like to be assisted (1 John 3:16-18).
The Lord's provision
PROSPERITY
-Introduction: Elisha was a good student of Elijah. We realize that just as he saw Elijah resurrecting a...
the boy repeated, and as Elias restored the bad waters, he also fed a multitude, and when the
He sees a woman multiplying flour, he did this in this text. He learned to react to the tests.
and see the miracle of God.
"My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!"
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Peter also learned the lesson when Jesus instructed him to catch a fish with a coin inside and pay the taxes.
debt and when he met a man begging he said: "I have no gold or silver but what
I have this, I give it to you: in the name of Jesus Christ, rise and walk" (Acts 3:6).
How to receive God's provision?
The attitudes of the woman in the text teach us lessons about receiving God's provision for our lives:
1- Search in the right place: v.1
The woman went to Elisha, the servant of God, to receive an answer from the Lord. When we knock on the door, God ...
promises to open (Matthew 7:7). Therefore, we need to seek the right people to bless us. Don't waste time.
complaining and telling everyone what happens in your life, but open your heart before God and with
people of prayer (James 5:14).
2- Open the heart: v.2
The woman shared her problem. She poured her heart out before God (Philippians 4:6). Jesus
He always asked the oppressed: "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51). God cares about us and
for our difficulties. The Lord promises to meet our needs even before we ask (Isaiah
When we open our hearts before God, we learn to love God above all else and not
we value only what we need (Mark 12:31). Jesus taught us to pray every day asking for bread and
the sustenance of God (Matthew 6:11).
3- Listen to the will of the Lord: v.3,4
God always speaks with us, but many times we do not realize it. When we hear what God teaches, the Lord
Multiply (John 6:1-15). We need to listen to God's voice like Samuel who asked the Lord: "speak because your
servant hears" (I Samuel 3.1-8). God always has an answer for our needs and shows the solution
(Isaiah 30:21).
4- Obey the Lord: v.5
What good would it do to listen without obeying? Elafez, as it says in Psalm 37:4, "Trust in the Lord and do good!"
to do right it is necessary to do what is right. sometimes God allows us to be tested to see if
we obey, but disobedience brings the consequence of sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22).
5- Desire more of God: v.6
All the containers that the woman filled were full. It seems that she didn't want to stop and would have continued if
could. Just like with the people of God, the manna only stopped when they entered the land of Canaan (Joshua 5:12).
When we see God's action in our lives, we are impressed by the Lord's power over us.
Seek more and more of God and know that God has more for your life.
6- Contemplate the miracle: v.6b
Imagine when the woman looked back and saw the amount of vessels. We need to learn to contemplate the
miracle of God. sometimes we do not realize how much God has already worked in our lives. This is gratitude.
Like Jehoshaphat, who in the midst of a battle, God commanded him to stand still and just contemplate the wonders that
God would do in your life (II Chronicles 20:20).

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7- Witness: tell the blessing: v.7
The woman told of the blessing she received from the Lord. When a believer is blessed, he shares the blessing, for
"we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). The testimony is the realization of the
miracle.
Receive the Provision of the Lord!
CONCLUSION:
Learn to depend on God in everything and learn to believe in the Lord's provision. Look for people of
God, open your heart before the Lord, listen to what God is guiding you to do, obey the Lord, desire more.
of God, contemplate the wonders and witness his miracle.
Meditate on Jesus's concept of prosperity:
Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you: Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, or what you will..."
to drink; neither, concerning your body, for what you have of yours. Is not life more than food, and the body
more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the sky, they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
Now, which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his stature?
And why are you anxious? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not
they neither work nor weave;

Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was dressed like one of them.
For if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you,
men of little coffee?
Therefore do not worry, saying: What shall we eat? or: What shall we drink? or: With what shall we be clothed?
Shall we see you?
(For all these things the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for each day.
your evil.

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