God Is Our Provider

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. — Proverbs 24:3-4

In the Scriptures, wisdom is portrayed as valuable as precious treasure and riches. We all know of foolish people who lost a great deal of wealth due to unwise choices. But God gives wisdom to those of us who ask. The book of James says,

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. — James 1:5

God’s wisdom guides us in building a good and productive life and a way of living that is admirable. “Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches” (Proverbs 24:3–4). We need wisdom to be good stewards of our money, time, and resources. It’s an excellent habit to continually ask God for more wisdom. The Scriptures instruct us to ask, and if we do, we can be confident that God will provide the wisdom we need.

Father, please make me wiser than I am and teach me things I couldn’t know apart from You. Teach me to steward my resources in a way that is pleasing to You.

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Then Jesus said to the apostles, “When I sent you out without a purse, a bag, or sandals, did you need anything?” They said, “No.” — Luke 22:35 NCV

When Jesus sent out His disciples on a preaching tour, He instructed them to take little to nothing with them (Luke 9:3). The Twelve had been given the power to heal diseases and alleviate suffering, but they were not to collect money or acquire wealth at the expense of those who were suffering. Jesus instructed them,

You received without paying; give without pay. — Matthew 10:8 ESV

Jesus wanted the disciples not only to avoid taking advantage of the sick but also to live by faith and trust Him for their daily needs. Later, when the spiritual climate of Israel was changing and Christ’s death on the cross was imminent, Jesus pointed back to that time as a teaching tool to remind the disciples that God had always provided for their needs. Jesus knew things would change after His death and resurrection, and people would not be as receptive to the disciples’ teaching.1 But God is our provider, and regardless of what is going on in modern culture, we can trust Him to provide.

Father, thank You for being my provider. Help me to be mindful that I can always rely on You to meet my needs.

1. John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 18–24 (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2000), 297.

Excerpted with permission from The God Who Provides, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Are you worried about money? Wondering how to handle debt or future earnings? Let’s remember when we’re thinking about our finances this year that it’s our job to ask God for wisdom and to operate in that wisdom. It’s God’s job to provide! Come share your thoughts with us on our blog. We want to hear from you! ~ Devotionals Daily