Protection, Provision, Prosperity

Matthew 6:31-33 - Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?” or "What shall we drink?” or "What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

To continue with Monday's blog on knowing we are protected, provided for and prospered (not necessarily with riches), came an article by David Wilkerson (May 19, 1931- April 27, 2011) that a friend had to show me since we had discussed this.

I truly know that He wants us to remember what He does for His people, Who He is for us, how He will provide...because His Word proclaims these things. Remember is the key word! Like Israel on a sort of different level, we forget, as I mentioned yesterday.

Wilkerson's message was called God is Going to See You Through Hard Times. It was written in the 1990's.

It may have answered the question about how He will do this. In a nutshell, the answer is, any way He needs to. Not quite the answer we would like to hear...no specifics. But it's His answer.

As Wilkerson pointed out, It's not always about food. It's about His words being ours by faith! He went on to say that when Israel began their journey in the wilderness (remember this is where my first answer all began!) all God had to do was speak, like He did to create the world, and the people were given manna from heaven. Manna was a form of sweet, coriander-like tasting seed that came down from the sky. It sustained them just fine. When questioned what it was, Moses told the people: This is the bread which the LORD has given you (Exodus 16:15).

Like the manna, Jesus is the Word of God come down from Heaven. He is to be our daily bread. His Word, within our hearts and souls, as we also discussed in Sunday school, is what will sustain us. That means Jesus must be in our lives, hearts and the depths of our souls. Jesus is the Bread which God has given us!

Wilkerson wrote: Do you want to know how God is going to preserve you in all your hard times? YES!! The answer, please! He will do it by speaking a new word, if necessary--by creating all you need by the power of His Word. All God had to do was speak the word "manna" and an entire generation of Israelites was preserved. So, whatever our need will be at the time, He will provide.

If He did it then, He will do it again. Jesus knew only to listen for His Father's voice and then obey. He did absolutely NOTHING on His own, under His own power. He waited on the LORD. If He didn't have to know until the just the right time, neither do we...or I! When He sees our need, He will provide. This is something some of us have not had to do in huge ways and probably why it's hard to comprehend.

God has known since the foundation of time what our needs would/will be. We are to seek Him first and all our needs are handled.

I had that moment of anxiety about how God would provide and would I have enough faith...and look at the words He has given me! Isn't that provision of sorts? They are the very manna from Heaven for this soul! As Wilkerson went on to write: It is to bestow on us an unshakable conviction that he is going to keep us from the power of the wicked one. It is His Word tucked away in our spirits and hearts that give us this consolation. That's why it is so important to have it engrained in our spirits. So that we will know...or we can be easily reminded.

It's still all about Jesus, the Word, our Manna, our Sustainer in all things. He is the Word we are to keep hidden within our heart.  Jesus, the Son of God, the Word that became flesh...His Word in our hearts and lives. Do you see? Know Him comes first...so you can keep Him in your heart and when you know Him, His Word comes alive and can also be planted deep within your heart. The same word that will keep us then (in heaven) is the word that is sustaining us now, Wilkerson wrote.

He went on to say The overcomers ... triumphed in the worst of times because the whole Word of God came alive...  The Word became flesh. Jesus, our Word made flesh, who saves us from all unrighteousness by the power of His Word when we receive Him.

Psalm 119:49-50 - Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This  is  my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.