My preacher did a sermon last week talking about our new theme. One of the words is provision. Its such an important word–and one I’ve been focused on for this past year. It’s one I’ve focused on as we approached and entered 2021. Everyone was so focused on 2021 being better. But the interesting thing was was that 2019 for me had been so hard, and 2020 was supposed to be my year. So when 2020 was what it was, I learned something: I learned that you don’t ever expect for things to magically get better because human time is hitting some milestone. I learned that things can get worse and drag on, but at the same time, things give and shift, and God has prepared you for what is coming–He has given provision.
You see, I read a book a while ago called Sacred Marriage: What if God Created Marriage to Make us Holy Instead of Happy. And good gracious–while I don’t have time to delve into ALLLLL the growth that that book gave me, it was eye opening, and the concept definitely applies: God’s purpose for our life is peace and holiness, not necessarily happiness in the human sense. Now, the more in line we are with His will, the “happier” we are. And honestly, there are happy times. But we have to get out of this mindset that God is concerned with our happiness, because truthfully, we don’t necessarily grow when we are happy. We don’t stretch when we are happy. And if you are not where you need to be, God’s main concern is getting you to that place–not keeping you happy. This is hard, but Proverbs 3:5 tells us we should “Trust in the Lord with all [our] heart and lean not unto [our] own understanding.”
So….2021….in America…may continue to be a little rough. But let me tell you what my God promises.
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Phil 4:19
“I have been young, and now I am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread.”
Psa 37: 25
What does this mean? It means that no matter what you are going through, no matter what we are going through, God is going to make sure we have just what we need to get through it.
When we walked into COVID after I had just experienced the 2019 I had experienced, I learned to pray differently–Lord, give me what I need to encounter whatever you have next for me. Help me to learn whatever there is for me to learn from this. Help me to grow in the ways you see for me to grow. Stretch me how you need to stretch me. Use me how You need to use me. Because I know You have me. I know it.
And He does–Every. Single. Time.
Provision. He’s got us. We just have to trust it, put on our armor, and be ready for the amazing growth he has in store. He wants to see us at our best, not our happiest. Get ready to GROW!!