Thanksgiving, Always part 1
I Am Thankful for God’s Provision
As we begin November, it is a perfect time to celebrate the goodness of God. It is a time to be thankful, not just because Thanksgiving is around the corner, but because God has seen us through a very trying year. 2020 will forever be known as the year of train wrecks—pandemic, race riots, murder hornets, political upheaval, and even UFOs being acknowledged by the government. You might have missed that last one, but it happened.
In fact, I happened upon an article from June that lists some of the more bizarre stories of 2020.
A star went missing. That’s right, a star which had been studied for decades disappeared from the night sky. It may be the first observed instance of a star collapsing into a black hole without going nova.
A monkey stole samples of Covid-19. A monkey in India attacked a lab tech, stole infected blood samples, then fled the facility. He was tracked to a tree on the grounds still holding the samples.
Poland accidentally invaded the Czech Republic. Some Polish border patrol agents set up an outpost on the wrong side of the border. Citizens were barred from entering a church along the border, and when news of the invasion began to spread, the Polish military group realized their mistake. Of course, officially no one has taken blame for the mistake, but it’s probably safe to say someone lost their rank.
And those are just the ones before July!
Now, one may lament the year, but the fact is, we are still here. We have survived, and will continue to survive, as long as Jesus is on His throne. Further, we know Romans 8:28 is still true—“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Yes, murder hornets, thieving monkeys, and accidental invasions can, and will, work to the good for those who seek God.
James 1:2 reminds us to count it joy when we meet trials of various kinds, because these trials will produce steadfastness—or grit, as we saw in Colossians 3. The year 2020 is a time to rejoice, because God is certainly doing something amazing in our time.
To that end, we will explore God’s grace and provision during the next several weeks. This week, we begin with God’s Provision. I am thankful for God’s Provision, especially during troubled times. There are three principles of God’s provision that we will see in Scripture today:
The Lord’s Provision is always Good.
The Lord’s Provision lead us to the Kingdom of God.
The Lord’s Provision is on us to accept.
The Lord’s Provision is always Good.
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:7-11
If we who are evil know how to give good gifts, then how much more can our Father in Heaven give good gifts?
James says it this way,
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is for above, coming down form the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
It is in God’s nature to give well, because God is good. There is ‘no shadow of turning’ as the King James states. God’s goodness does not change with the circumstance.
Sometimes, as people, we feel like doing something good for people, but then circumstances change. We’re happy to give our kids gifts...until their attitude shifts into a teenager. Our goodness has limits, because our patience is stretched too thin, or our own prejudice gets in the way, or the myriad of other reasons and excuses we give for not doing good toward someone. But with God, those excuses fall away. There is no changing His goodness.
“His mercies renew each morning.” Our infinite God is infinitely good to us.
As we look at Matthew 7:10, it draws out our view of the Father. Do we really believe He is good? Do we really believe He provides? If we believe He is good, He provides, and He wants to provide, then we will freely ask from Him and seek Him. Because the promise is in verse 8, if we will ask, seek, and knock, we will find what we are looking for.
Our attitude toward God’s Provision is a reflection of our beliefs about God’s Nature.
Consider also Philippians 4:19.
19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
Paul is writing in the context of being content. He says previously that he knows what it means to be rich, and he knows what it means to be poor. He has seen good times and bad. He is content with what God gives, but he is writing to the Philippians to give them an opportunity to continue the work they had already started—to go further in their giving. And Paul tells them “You can’t out-give God.” God will supply every need according to His riches. So the Philippians church is free to give freely from their resources, because God will provide what is needed for them.
In God’s goodness, we may not have everything our selfish hearts desire, but we will certainly have everything we need.
The Lord’s Provision leads us to the Kingdom.
There is a principle of God’s provision that is often overlooked, because Christians tend to fall into one extreme or another. Either they believe God is like a cosmic ATM in that if the right code is punched, the right prayers said, or the right rituals performed, they can get God to give them whatever they want. It’s found in the so-called prosperity gospel and in the bizarre amalgamation known as the “Word of Faith” movement. The other extreme is the rugged individualism that emerged out of frontier life that has perpetuated into libertarian circles. It is the belief, “God helps those who help themselves.” This extreme tends to not actually ask God for anything, because they believe God wants them to do it themselves. I, myself, have been caught in this trap at times. It sounds noble on the surface, but it is antithetical to the Gospel. The Gospel message is “God helps those who can’t help themselves.”
So where is the balance? I believe that answer is found in Matthew 6 & James 4.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
Do not worry about clothes or food, but seek first the Kingdom
Jesus tells us not to worry about food, drink, or clothes, because the Father will provide every need. Consider the birds. These nomadic creatures have no plans for the future, no crops to cultivate, no storage to prepare for famine. And yet, they are content. The Lord provides for them each day. Consider the flowers. They have no jobs, no spindles, not even legs. And yet their beauty surpasses even Solomon.
And how can we add an hour to our lives through worry? In fact, studies have shown extended periods of worry and stress can actually shorten our lives. It can lead to heart problems, gut problems, and neural degeneration.
No, Jesus says to seek the kingdom of God first, and His righteousness, and then all these things will be added to you. The answer to worry is the same answer to how we understand God’s provision and blessing. The Lord blesses us so that we can see the Kingdom that is available to us.
Jesus came to open the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, thereby making provision for today and eternity.
Paul writes it this way in 2 Corinthians 9:8-12:
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written,
“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever.”10 He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12 For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.
2 Corinthians 9:8-12
You are enriched to be generous.
The blessings that we receive are given in order to be a blessing to others. “I am blessed to be a blessing” gets passed around quite a bit, but it’s truth is worth remembering. When we seek first the Kingdom of God, we are reminded both to be content and to be a blessing with what we have.
Remembering God is the source of all blessings brings contentment and generosity.
Finally, there is one final phrase that is popular in Christian circles, and it is “You have not, because you ask not.” This verse is found in James 4:2, but it is worth looking at the context of this verse, because James is not endorsing an “ATM theology”.
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:1-10
Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Notice James’ readers not only did not receive because they did not ask, but they also did not receive after asking, because they asked wrongly. Their motives were based on their own selfish desires and not the Kingdom of God. The key verse in this passage is not at the end of verse 4, but rather verse 10. If we believe we deserve God’s blessings, then He will withhold them. But, if we humble ourselves, seeking first the Kingdom of Heaven, then we will be lifted up (exalted).
Remember this is the same James who we just read stating that every good and perfect gift is from God. Therefore, if God withholds a blessing from us, it is for our benefit.
A seemingly lack of provision from God is really an opportunity from God for growth.
We do the same with our kids. I remember when I finally received my driver’s license. Back then, it was a wonderful time for a sixteen year old. Nowadays, most teenagers couldn’t care less. But, I was the last of three brothers who turned 16 and got the official license allowing me ‘freedom’. I also remember each time one of my brothers turned 16, they wanted a new car. My oldest brother’s desires were met with a brown Toyota Corolla that my dad had already driven well over the 200,000 mile mark. You could start it with a penny. You couldn’t lock the hatchback. His high school friends would take it during lunch and get doughnuts. On his first date with a high school sweetheart, her dad told him, “There’s no way my daughter is getting in that vehicle.” So, they took her car. He told me, “I loved it, cuz it was heinous.”
When my middle brother turned 16, he wanted a Jeep. All he talked about for years was getting a jeep. Instead, he got a giant blue boat of a car. It was a Pontiac, but not the good kind. The roof’s lining was torn and falling off. The brown insulation routinely fell onto passengers creating a weird brown, dandruff look in your hair. The noise from engine assured you this was probably the last ride you would ever take in any vehicle. It would be many years, and much saving, before he finally purchased his Chili Pepper Red Jeep.
So, when I turned 16, I thanked God that my parents had moved up the economic ladder enough that I did not need to get a jalopy. My brothers were out of the house, and they were making the big bucks…or at least I thought so. So when I turned 16, I had my eye on a cool Miata. Now, I know not everyone can appreciate a Mazda Miata, but I thought they were cool. Instead, I got a Plymouth Neon. It wasn’t what I wanted, but I was thankful it wasn’t the Toyota turd-mobile or the ‘Blue Bomb’. I drove that Neon across 4 different states from high school to college. And, I wooed Mrs. Powell with its awesome hunter green shine and tan interior. I drove it until it would drive no longer. It was completely worthless by the time I was done with it, but it taught me to appreciate and take care of what I have…because I could own far worse! Just ask my brothers.
My brothers and I may not have gotten our prayers answered as quickly as we wanted, but we learned more about contentment and patience in our ugly cars than we ever would have in our dream vehicles.
The Lord’s Provision is on us to accept and trust.
This last principle may seem a bit obvious, but it points to the truth that was so eloquently put by the great philosopher Mick Jagger, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find you get what you need.”
If we look one last time at James 4:8 & 10, notice the conditional ‘if’ there—“If we draw near to God” and an inferred ‘if you humble yourself’. God sends His blessings every day. The question is whether we will accept them as blessings or be prideful and unappreciative demanding more.
Also, remember Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” God is far above anything we could ever understand, and His perspective is from eternity past to eternity future. As we consider the first two points, it naturally leads to the third. Consider:
God has an eternal perspective.
God is eternally Good.
God wants to point us to His Kingdom.
God’s blessings, and withdrawal of blessing, is always to our benefit.
Therefore, when God chooses to bless us, either through giving or taking, it is up to us to respond with acceptance, contentment, and yes, obedience. To that end, let’s look at one last passage.
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.Psalm 37:1-11
Trust in the Lord, Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
David reminds us to not focus on the evil around us. Even when it seems they are prospering, and the world is unjust, we remember that, yes, this world is broken. But, this world is also fading away. They will fade like grass and wither like herb. Instead, trust in the Lord, and do good—befriend faithfulness.
That famous verse 4 says to “Delight” in the Lord. Delight in Hebrew is anag, and it is not a casual, “Oh, I like that” ‘delight’. We do not look at God like an interesting find at Hobby Lobby. No, anag denotes a luxurious delight. I had a Hebrew professor tell us it could also be translated, “Spoil yourself in the Lord.” The word has an effeminate connotation. It is a long bubble bath with scented candles and little soaps that fizz in the water. It is not a Little Caesar’s pizza, but rather a $12,000 Louis XIII pizza from Italy. (Yes, that’s a real pizza.) No, to ‘delight in the Lord’ is to immerse yourself in His presence and goodness.
Commit your way and trust in Him, and He will act. The key to unlocking God’s provision, that our wayward prosperity friends are so eagerly searching for, is simply to realize that God Himself is the greatest fulfillment of all our needs. It is not the wicked, the prosperous, or the mighty that will inherit the Kingdom of God, but rather the meek, the patient, and the content.
The key to unlocking God’s provision is trust and acceptance of His will.
We started with Jesus’ words, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you”, and notice Psalm 37 says essentially the same. The Lord sends the sun and the rain on the righteous and unrighteous alike. But, for those who trust in the Lord, His provision is everlasting, ever-sustaining, and never failing.
The Gospel is this, “God helps those who can’t help themselves.” He has sent His Son as eternal provision for our sins. There is no longer any reason to wonder where God is, or why God has not provided, because He has given His Son for us. And through Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of Heaven is open. Whosoever calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. Today, trust in Him. Receive God’s Provision of forgiveness for sin, and provision of eternal life for your eternity.