Art of Provision (eBook)

The goal of our lives should be effectiveness in the world. Most see Christianity through the lens of what happens in the local church, when in reality we’re to bring what happens in church out into the world. Our Christianity must impact our worlds of parenting, working out, hanging out, getting an education, and achieving great careers.

Our lives must nestle the pillars of our discipleship training. The Prophet Elijah in I Kings 17, 18, and 19 helps the believer to learn valuable discipleship principles, particularly as they relate to God’s Provision. Elijah teaches us what it costs to be a disciple and what it entails to be gifted. But now I’d like to go a little deeper into understanding why and how God provides for us, and why this understanding is so critical to our discipleship forming.

Believe it or not, provision is probably one of the major topics that can choke a Christian’s effectiveness. If you don’t have money, if you don’t have food, and if you don’t have a place to stay, your effectiveness will be impacted. Provision involves dependency, but being in a dependent relationship with God can be both exciting and challenging.

Dependency means there’s exchange. And where there’s exchange, there’s activity. When activity is occurring in the life of the disciple, Christianity becomes more interesting and potentially fun. It’s an activity exchange which God uses to get things done on earth, as He desires them to be done in heaven. I’ll clarify as we delve into provision further.

I’m certain of times I could’ve done a better job ministering for God. I performed poorly because I was worried about multiple things. I let those things get to me, and I let them affect my gifting. I failed to maximize my potential. When God instructs us to cast our cares upon Him, or roll them over onto Him, we really need to learn the benefits of doing so (I Peter 5:7).

He doesn’t ask us to do so just because He wants to handle it, but because it frees us up to be impactful. The primary purpose for our being here is to win people to Christ. It’s not about wealth and all the material things of life. Prosperity can be a benefit by default, and God does bless His children, but that’s not our primary purpose for being Christians on earth.

The disciple’s attitude should be driven by their desire to win people to Christ. There should be a passion for going to work or hanging with friends. Our being with others gives them opportunities to see the light and love of Christ in us. Life can’t only be about getting another perk of prosperity, or just another piece of heaven’s pie.

In the previous chapters I wrote about Elijah being fed by the ravens, and how he faced 450 prophets and brought fire down out of heaven. I introduced four connectives as follows: The Test leads to the Triumph, the Triumph leads to the Terror, and the Terror leads to the Touch.

I’d like to spend some time in this chapter explaining the Touch. In I Kings 18:40-46 the context is just after Elijah accomplished the major feat of defeating the 450 prophets. Then Elijah commanded them,

“‘Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!’ They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there. 41 And Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.’ 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 ‘Go and look toward the sea’ he told his servant. And he went up and looked. ‘There is nothing there,’ he said. Seven times Elijah said, ‘Go back.’ 44 The seventh time the servant reported, ‘A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.’ So Elijah said, ‘Go and tell Ahab, “Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”’ 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46 The power of the Lord came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.”

Before explicating I Kings 18 above, it’s important to remind you of I Kings 17:1, which states, “Now Elijah the Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead said to Ahab as the Lord God of Israel lives whom I serve there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” This means that between chapters 17 and 18, approximately three years had passed before God gave His word for it to rain. And in I Kings 18:41 Elijah tells Ahab the rain is finally coming. In this context, rain is a promised provision from God for Israel. The rain is “provision”.

God didn’t provide the rain for Elijah; He provided the rain for Israel. The need was bigger than Elijah alone. God has more of an obligation to meet the needs that provide for His plan versus the provision of our own personal preferences.

The key then is to try to get your personal provisional needs to match with God’s purposeful provisional needs and thereby have guaranteed pre-approval. It’s in this context I believe praying according to the will of God causes us to receive the petitions we’ve desired.

Turning your will into His will, guarantees provision.

To be an impactful Christian with consistency and stability, is to find a way to connect to God’s stream of provision rather than trying to get God to join a stream you’ve created. Being connected to Him daily will make sure we understand what He’s doing, where He is, and at what time He’s doing it. Because, wherever He is, and whatever He’s doing, there’s provision.

We mentioned in the previous chapter how Jesus fed 5000 men, not including the women and children, with just two fish and five loaves of bread. Because the disciples were where He was, and participated in what He was doing, they were provided for as well. Think it not a coincidence that twelve baskets were left over? Some believe there was one basket of provision left over for each disciple.

If the disciple is connected to God and remains engaged with what God is already doing, the disciple will find personal provision. Why does that matter? It matters because, if I’m not worried about provision, I can be more effective in my gifts.

Ahab and Jezebel the evil wicked queen, were the leaders during Elijah’s time. They did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Because of their wickedness, Israel was put in a bad position. As they led Israel, and Israel was God’s chosen people, whatever happened in the land happened to the people of Israel.

The drought occurred because the land participated in idolatry. They allowed for high places and other ungodly practices in the land as well. Where you are and who you’re with affects what happens to you, directly or indirectly. Elijah was part of God’s plan to reform Israel. He used Elijah to get rid of 450 prophets and embarrassed their commitment to Baal. It was Elijah’s God who brought the drought to an end. I write this to remind you that the provision is connected to a purpose.

Three years earlier the rain was withheld to bring Israel into compliance with God’s desires. Sometimes when we see God withholding provision, it could be due to something far bigger than ourselves. We could be surrounded by something bigger, which is impacting us by association. And conversely, God’s releasing of provisions could be because we’re part of some bigger plan of blessing. The abundance of rain that Elijah heard was not just for him, but for Israel.

Disciples serve and live in a plan of God that far exceeds our own personal provision. Therefore, we must learn the art of accessing our personal provision, while fulfilling our purpose in the larger will of God. To live selfishly is sure to lead to frustration when we don’t see God responding to our every personal wish and desire. When our needs are tapped into His larger purposes, we will see provisions flow. When you take a job, don’t take the job just for the pay, take the job to impact the lives in it. Tap into the Kingdom plan of God.

When you place your personal concerns up against the larger plan of God, your personal concerns reduce and there’s less anxiety. Your phone bill, your car note, a leaky faucet, are all just bills. These are things you accept to be taken care of by God.

Bigger thinking is knowing that you’re part of a larger plan. In Genesis 39 we learn that Potiphar’s house was blessed as long as Joseph was in it. Joseph in turn was blessed by Potiphar’s riches. If we live as part of God’s bigger picture, those around us are impacted by God’s purpose for our lives, and we often reap the benefits in reciprocity.

Remember, whatever you’re connected with, must be connected with Him in some way. That’s bigger thinking! My interest is His interest, and His interest is my interest. If anything tries to come between the two, it’ll have to deal with us both. This is how you bring your provision thinking up to a discipleship level.

When provision is understood on this level, the disciple gains a better understanding of their own value. You and your calling become bigger than your bills, bigger than your 30-day notice, bigger than food, bigger than gas in the car, bigger than your needs.

I’d like to share three concepts that will help to further develop this thought:

1. Don’t personalize your call. Personalizing...