There have been times in my life as my anxiety was rising about my earthly needs that I have had to bow my head and quietly remind myself, “The Lord will provide.”
Sometimes it’s hard to wait for the Lord to provide. It is tempting to complain and get all worked up like the Israelites did in the first half of our reading. They were so upset that Moses was worried that they would stone him!
Was Israel’s concern valid? Yes. Did they have a real need? Certainly! In the desert, water is a precious commodity, and those without it die. (In fact, the battle in the second half of the chapter may have been over water as Rephidim was located between two oases that were used by the Amalekites.) The real question here is this: Did Israel trust God to provide what they needed? And that answer is clearly, “No.”
How like the Israelites we are! We may not be in need of water, but we often do not trust God for the things we truly need in life. This is displayed in our attitude toward forgiveness.
There is but one way to get forgiveness, and that is through faith in Jesus, the Son of God, who was crucified, raised, ascended, and is coming again. “There is no other name given under heaven; given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) Yet how often do we tell people that in order to be saved they must also change their lives? How often do we look askance at the sinner and question whether a person who acts in such a way can be forgiven? How often do we wonder for ourselves, “Have I done enough for the Lord?”
What if we let the Lord provide? What if we trust Him with our needs?
I’ve got to be upfront and let you know, His provision might not look the way you expect or want it too.
In the case of the water, the Lord instructed Moses to go to a rock and strike it with the rod he had held over the Red Sea. What good could that do? Yet when Moses struck the rock the Lord provided water.
What good can an old man do in prayer? We see in the battle with Amalek the Lord’s provision was seen as Moses raised his hands in prayer, and Aaron and Hur supported him. (This, as a side note, is a beautiful example of how we can support our leaders in prayer!)
How can the death of a 33 year old man on a cross be God’s provision? It looks like failure. It looks like the end of hope. Yet it is here, in the innocent suffering and death of our Lord Jesus, that God provides forgiveness for our sins, reconciliation to Him, and eternal life.
I don’t know what you are going through right now. I don’t know the pain in your life, and you don’t know the pain in mine. But together, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Lord provides.
Father in Heaven, You have provided all that is needed for my salvation in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thank you! Too often I feel like I need to add to what you have provided; like I need to do some good work or some great deed. Forgive me for doubting your provision. Help me be content and confident in your gifts, and in that confidence share your abundant salvation with others, for Jesus sake. Amen.
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