How often do we walk through life feeling utterly alone? We are surrounded by people and yet, something is missing. Over three days, David Leonard will take you through a journey of recognizing that all we truly need is Jesus. He is the breath in our lungs and the answer to every question we have.
Provident
Day 1
Scriptures: Psalms 63:1, Psalms 40:17
Needy People
“God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.” – Psalm 63:1
It’s funny. As many of us are growing up in the place we call home, we start looking forward to the day we’ll get to leave. We want to head out on our own, explore the world, and do our own thing. But when that happens, it sometimes doesn’t take very long to recognize our need for that home we left. Life is hard, and we get homesick. When home is a safe and peaceful place, we long for its comforts.
That’s not just true in our earthly lives, it’s also a picture of our relationship with our heavenly Father. Distracted by our own pursuits, we forget our need for God. Or maybe we don’t forget altogether, but we push that need aside.
Until we can’t.
When David wrote Psalm 63, he was in the desert and in great danger. He didn’t have a drop of water and he was being chased by people who wanted to kill him. He longed for home, but not in the way we might think. He wasn’t wishing he had his own bed or someone to cook his favorite meal and do his laundry. There was only one thing on David’s mind. He needed to know and experience the greatness of God.
Do you recognize that need in your life?
There is a deep longing inside of us that is only content when we’re at “home” with the Lord. These last few years have been a reminder to us all how desperately we need God, and that’s a good thing. Without difficulty, we tend to forget our need, but forgetting doesn’t make our need any less real. In John 15:5, Jesus said, “You can do nothing without me.” In Psalm 40:17 David wrote, “I am oppressed and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my helper and my deliverer; my God, do not delay.”
The fact is, we’re needy people. We need the Lord, every hour of every day. And He is fully willing and able to meet our need.
Reflection
·Why do you need God every moment of every day?
·What are some signs a person is remembering his or her need for God each day? What are some signs a person has forgotten this?
·Acknowledge your continual need for the Lord. Thank Him for providing for your needs and ask Him to help you eagerly seek and trust Him as He does.
Day 2
Scripture: Philippians 4:14-20
Worthy God
“And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” – Philippians 4:19-20
It’s hard for us to admit that we need people. We live in a culture where independence is valued more than community. We’re not going to call a plumber to come to our house if we can learn how to fix the sink by watching a video on the Internet. We’re not going to ask a neighbor for a cup of sugar if our Prime accounts can get sugar to us by tomorrow. We’re not going to visit a doctor unless we absolutely have to, and even then, we want to know his or her qualifications are legit.
So, it’s hard for us to admit we need God.
The problem with extending this independent spirit to our relationship with the Lord is that we misunderstand and dismiss who He is. Paul wrote to the Philippians that God would supply all their needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. That’s a big claim and promise! But it’s not too big when we recognize who God is. He is uniquely qualified. His resources are unlimited. His character is unmatched. God is our fortress and hiding place. He is the shelter where we are safe. He has freed us and called us by name. He is our redeemer and saving grace. He is our Father and our friend. And there will never be a moment when any of those facts will stop being true.
Notice that Paul followed up his boast in God’s all-encompassing provision with a word of praise. Because they trusted in God to provide their needs, the Philippian believers had shown bold generosity and obedience (see vv. 14-15). In other words, their trust in God’s provision impacted Paul’s ministry and revealed God’s glory!
That’s what dependence on God does. It has a circular effect. When we depend on the Lord, we live in a way that prompts other people to praise Him. To do that, to experience this kind of dependent community with God and other people that He provides, we need to see Him for who He is.
Reflection
·How does what a person believes about God impact his or her level of dependence upon Him? How have you experienced this in your own life?
·Who do you know God to be? List every characteristic or quality that comes to mind.
·Praise God for who He is. Thank Jesus for providing for your greatest need through His death and resurrection. Ask the Spirit to lead you to live as someone who knows who God is and trusts Him to provide in every way.
Day 3
Scripture: Lamentations 3:22-23
Limitless Provision
“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” – Lamentations 3:22-23
When was a time you hit your limit in a situation? Maybe all your best efforts failed, and you weren’t sure what to do next. As humans, we all have limits. Our time, energy, effort, and stamina are all limited. Those limits apply in every situation. We can hit our limit whether we are working on a project, eating pancakes, investing in a relationship, or running a marathon.
But limits don’t apply to God. Jeremiah put it this way—God’s mercies never end.
So extraordinary is God’s limitlessness in meeting our needs, Jeremiah stated it here in four different ways—God’s love is faithful, His mercies never end, they are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great!
It’s important to understand that Jeremiah wasn’t celebrating a circumstance. He was God’s prophet during some of Israel’s very worst days. The Babylonian army had sieged Jerusalem, there was famine in the city, and the Judean army fled. The temple was looted and burned. The leaders were executed. The people were exiled. Jeremiah served as the already unpopular role of prophet during a horrifically unpopular time.
But all that difficulty was secondary to the knowledge that God’s mercy is limitless. Jeremiah knew He needed God and that God was an ever-present help, a refuge and strength for whatever he would face. Jeremiah and all of Israel were completely overwhelmed in every sense of the word. But God’s mercies would never end.
God’s love for us is faithful, one hundred percent of the time. Every single morning, we can know that He extends His mercy to us. He never hits His limit, no matter how much we push Him. He is gracious, merciful, compassionate, and faithful to sinful and broken people over and over again.
To say that God is there to meet our need every hour of every day is to say also that there is hope in every circumstance. Our circumstances may be out of our hands, but they are in His. And every day, His mercies are new.
Reflection
·What are you waiting for God to provide? How is He revealing His mercies as you wait?
·Think about your prayer life. Do your prayers reflect the understanding that God’s faithfulness in meeting your needs is limitless? Why or why not?
·Thank God that His mercies are new each day. Praise Him for His faithfulness in meeting your needs. Ask Him to help you trust in His limitless provision.