Provision is defined as “the action of providing or supplying something for use” and “an amount or thing supplied or provided.” (source: Oxford Dictionary)
What comes to mind when you hear the word “provision”? Is it a favorite Bible verse that brings you comfort? Does it cause you to reflect on the times throughout your life that God has provided when you thought there was no hope? Do you think about abundance? Do you think about scarcity?
For me, provision meant a supply of my tangible needs: food, shelter, clothing, money. I can look back throughout my life and see quite clearly how often Heavenly Father has provided these things for me. In His goodness, He provided for me even when I wasn’t walking closely with Him. (And, when I say I wasn’t walking closely, I mean that I was at least three miles away and two streets over from Him.) Two weeks ago, something changed. I began to see His provision as the tangible and SO MUCH MORE.
The bio on the website will tell you that I left a twenty-year career in banking to form Stewardship Advisory Services in 2022. Since then, my mindset has shifted from being a cog in the corporate wheel to embracing the life of an entrepreneur. During that last year in banking, I prayed regularly for TIME—time to sit with the Father, time to pray, time to study His Word, time to think about Him. I was hungry for Him, and I wanted more TIME. Looking back, I may have begged for more time.
He gave it to me. He answered my prayers. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks.
Two weeks ago, I was working on a project and then decided to step away to take a walk in the park with our dogs. The Fall sunshine was gorgeous, and the temperature was perfect. This was the kind of day I had longed for during what seemed to be an overly long and unusually hot East Tennessee summer. I packed up the dogs, headed to the park and basked in the glow of the day. I walked and talked to God and thought about Him. It was the perfect afternoon.
Then, in a gloriously unexpected way, He opened my eyes to see that I was experiencing the answer to my prayers. He had given me TIME! The time I longed for, craved, desired. The time to spend with Him, without any interference. This TIME was HIS PROVISION to me. HIS PROVISION!
This concept of provision as something other than the tangible may not be a new concept to you. For me, though, this was unchartered territory, a new and different way of looking at my life. I began to see His provision all OVER the place. In fact, I realized that the wisdom and understanding to see that time was a form of His provision was His provision.
Here is a short list of His provision in my life: spiritual protection, time, my unique talents and skills, wisdom, loved ones, a career path that prepared me for my current endeavor, the joy of writing, the ability to network and help connect people, just to name a few. I will stop here, but to say I could go on for a while would be an understatement.
The enemy designs deceitful schemes to make us feel dissatisfied with our lives, to distract us from the Father, to prevent us from embracing the fullness of an intimate relationship with Him. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the world and its false principles. If we choose to listen to the lies of the enemy and his minions, we become vulnerable and susceptible to making unwise choices, especially financially.
If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed and vulnerable, take a moment to find those unusual and unexpected ways that Father has moved in your life. Take a moment to reflect on the prayers you have prayed over the years and the ways in which He has answered. Take a moment to see three areas of goodness and bounty in your life that could only have come from the Father. When we turn our focus to Him, the enemy loses.
“O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” ~Psalm 34:8 KJV