God is our (Good, Abundant & Creative) Provider!

God is a really good Dad! One of his roles as our Father is that of our provider and he fulfills that role REALLY well…and sometimes in unexpected ways! 

It is less and less the norm in our society that the father is the sole provider in the family, and people have LOTS of opinions about that…you may have noticed. The way we grew up in our natural families, the expectations about provision and whose role it is in the family to bring in the money for everything the family needs, can definitely impact our relationship with God and our understanding of his provision. 

You may not have grown up with a dad who provided well for your family. You may carry lots of triggers or faulty mindsets surrounding provision, finances, etc. Today I want to invite you to explore some scriptures with me to learn more about God’s provision and to possibly consider some out-of-the-box ways his abundant provision shows up in our lives. 

If the topics of finances, provision, and abundance are ones that make you cringe a little bit, I encourage you to find some time after you’ve read through these scriptures to get quiet and talk with God about how you’re feeling. Ask him to reveal the areas of possible wounds from your past, or where you have believed lies. Ask him to show you his heart and to align your understanding with his truth. I know for certain he will be faithful to do this for you – you are his beloved daughter & heir!

1 Timothy 5:8 (NLT) Those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.

God is telling us that the human families who don’t provide for their own relatives are worse than unbelievers, and we know from scripture that we are considered by God to be HIS DAUGHTERS. (See 1 John 3:1, Galatians 3:26, 2 Corinthians 6:18, Romans 8:14, Galatians 4:7, & John 1:12…just to name a few.) How much more is a perfect God and perfect Father going to provide well for his children?

Romans 8:32 (NLT) He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with Him (Jesus), graciously give us all things?

This is so encouraging! If you have struggled with money mindset, or maybe money issues have been a struggle in your family before, this might be a really good verse to write out on a notecard and put on your bathroom mirror where you see it often. We can sometimes fall into the mindset or thinking of, “I have to make ends meet, and it’s totally up to me. God is not in the business of providing for me or my family.” It can really help to remind ourselves how MUCH God loves us!

2 Corinthians 9:8 (NLT) And God is able to bless you ABUNDANTLY, so that in ALL things at ALL times, having ALL that you need, you will abound in EVERY good work. (emphasis mine)

This is GOOD NEWS!! Not only will God just meet our needs, he is able to go above and beyond just what we need. Now, I know that you might have that negative little voice in the back of your mind that says, “Yeah, God is ABLE to bless me abundantly, but why would he do that…and would he even do that for me?” Go back and read Romans 8:32 again. God did not spare his own son, but gave him up for YOU. He loves you THAT MUCH!!

Now, I’m not saying that each of us has been predestined to be a millionaire rolling in cash. But when we have the kind of negative mindset that asks why God would even want to bless us with more than what is just strictly necessary, we need to shut that voice down by first reminding ourselves about how very much God loves us. Then we can look back at the verse in 2 Corinthians 9:8 and think through how it says that the REASON that God blesses us abundantly (over and above our necessities) is so that we can be prepared with everything we need to walk out our individual Kingdom purpose on this earth and be a blessing to others!

Matthew 6:31-33 (NLT) So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Right now there are a LOT of worries in this world, am I right?? Sometimes when we watch the news or scroll through social media, it’s so easy to be gripped by fear and let it take root in our minds when it comes to thinking about provision for our families and for their futures. God is really clear that we are not supposed to worry about our basic necessities and where provision will come from.

Philippians 4:6 (NLT) Do not be anxious in anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Did you know that thanksgiving and gratitude actually help rewire our brain pathways, and pull us out of negativity where all we can see is the problem? It’s true!

So God’s part – his responsibility – is provision. He is our provider…and we have read above that he will do that ABUNDANTLY. We have a part to play too, though. We have been given some keys in the verses in Matthew 6:31-33, Philippians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 9:8 about what our part is:

1. Seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness (Mt. 6:31-33)
2. Pray in every situation with thanksgiving (Php 4:6)
3. Ask God to show us what is already in our hand for the situation – what he has already abundantly given us to provide for this time. (2 Cor 9:8)

Our brains can kind of get stuck in the loop of “I don’t have enough money. I can’t afford _____. I don’t know where the money will come from!” To get yourself out of this loop, use the following scripture keys to go back and remind yourself what parts are God’s and what parts are yours.

First, seek God & his Kingdom. Part of seeking God includes reminding yourself of how very much he LOVES YOU, so much so that he allowed his son to suffer and die on the cross.  Second, pray into the situation with gratitude and thanksgiving. Remember, tapping into gratitude & thanksgiving sets our brain pathways up to be able to see solutions and not just to focus on problem.

Real talk…sometimes this part can be hard! If we are in panic mode, we have to ask God to help us even see what there is to be thankful or grateful for. But once he helps us get started, it becomes easier and easier to see that even in the midst of this really difficult situation we still have things to be thankful and grateful for. The act of focusing on these things will help lift the fog and put your mind in a place where you are able to begin to see solutions you might not have thought of otherwise.

The third scripture key is to remind yourself how God has said he will provide for your needs – and that he even said he would provide abundantly beyond just your needs SO THAT you will be able to walk out the purpose he has for you and bless others for him. Have you ever heard someone ask, “What’s in your hand?” It’s a scripture reference from Exodus 4:2 – a question that God asked Moses. I heard a coach ask this on a coaching call once and it made such an impact in my heart that now I ask it of those who I am coaching! 

If God has said that he provides abundantly more than just your needs and you trust him and take him at his word, but your bank account is a bit dry…maybe you need to have a conversation with him and ask him what resource he has already provided abundantly to you that you are just not seeing. Ask him to let you see with HIS EYES and to give you creative insight into his thoughts. There might not be dollars in your account at this very moment…but what has he already given you that might translate into the provision you are looking for?

Is there something you can sell?

Is there a service that you could provide to someone else?

Do you see a need somewhere that you could creatively fill?

There is a woman in my neighborhood who has built herself a nice business by walking dogs for neighbors who work outside of the home during the day. Another woman in my neighborhood discovered that her natural talent for decluttering and organizing is not so natural for others (like me) and that those others would be willing to pay for her to come to their home to help them deal with the chaos. Now she is in such demand that she has a waitlist!

Those examples might not speak to you, but the idea is to ask God to help you see the abundant provisions he has blessed you with – that sometimes come in a form different from what we expect – and ask him to bless us with the creativity to think outside the box.

I pray that these scriptures give you some new things to think about with regards to provision, abundance, and creative ways to look at how God might be working those things out in your life. Be sure to take some time soon to sit with God and discuss your thoughts and feelings surrounding these topics, and then ask him to respond. You are his beloved daughter, and he would love to have those conversations with you!

Many blessings!

Amy D. Neumann