Have you wondered why we go through tough times? Especially financially challenging situations? Historically, this is one way for God to get our attention. He brings tough times on us lest we forget Him and live the way we like to live. God uses money or the lack of it in order to teach us to trust Him. Remember how Elijah was led by the LORD to a brook where he hid out for some time during a severe famine? No doubt Elijah grew quite comfortable he knew where to look for his breakfast and dinner. Sitting by the cool stream in the shade of the bank Elijah ate the food brought by the birds and drank from the brook. After some time, slowly but surely his brook dried up. God did not want Elijah to be comfortable and depend on the brook though it was his provision for him at that time. He was ready to lead Elijah on to something else, where he will continue to trust God for his needs.
Loren Cunningham the author of “Daring to live on the edge” writes, “When our financial brook runs dry, we are ready to listen to the Lord who wants our willful dependence on Him. His only aim is to teach us and to bring us closer to Himself. We so easily move in to a greater degree of independence than God sees is best.” Wilma and I have experienced our financial brook running dry several times. In 2007 our brook dried up, we hardly had $14 in our bank account, yet God provided us with a wonderful weekend stay at a friend’s home on Cape Cod.. Has your financial brook dried up lately? You are not alone; many are hurting by the recent “economic meltdown” as experts would call it. What is God trying to teach us as individuals and as a nation through these economic hardships? During these tough times can we trust God for our finances? What does the Bible have to say about “Faith and Finances?
I. GOD’S CARE FOR HIS CREATION:
Let’s look at a dollar bill, at the back of it we read, “In God we Trust,” what a bold and powerful statement! For the founders of this nation it was just not a statement but was a reality. President Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time" and asked ‘Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed the conviction that these liberties are of God?” Abraham Lincoln, in his proclamation on the National day of prayer noted, “It is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”
The early fathers of this nation recognized that they could not survive without trusting in God who has made this nation rich and prosperous. Ironically after 300 years, many today instead of trusting the almighty God, would rather trust in the so called the almighty dollar. How can we regain our trust in God? In order for me to understand that God is worthy of my trust, and is capable to take care of all of my families needs, I must look at how God cares for his creation and the cream of creation; human beings.
Recently during our vacation we had the opportunity to spend a week in the Berkshires. We hiked in the green mountains; they reminded me afresh of God’s faithfulness, steadfastness and his care. David described God as his place of shelter, Psalm 90:1-2, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”
Martin, Luther once said God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.” Has God written something in the nature which might helpful for our survival? What are the lessons we can learn by simply observing nature? Does nature depend on God for its survival? In other words is God providing for the animals and other species in the universe? There are many scriptures which talk about the wonderful works of God in the creation.
In all of creation, we see consistently the law of dependency at work. Nature depends on God and is interdependent on one another for its survival. In Psalm 104 we see how God is taking care of the needs of his creation and how the whole creation depends on Him for its existence. God has made special provisions for all the creatures of the earth.
Vs10: He makes springs pour water into the ravines; it flows between the mountains for the wild beasts
Vs 12 He made trees so the birds of the air can have a home.
Vs 14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate
Vs 18 He made high mountains as dwelling places for wild goats and rock badgers
Vs19 He made the night so that the wild beasts can gather their food
Vs 21, “The Lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
Vs 24, God’s works are many, and the earth is full of his creatures
Vs 27-29 “all the animal world looks to God to give them their food at the proper time, when God gives them food they gather it up and are satisfied, but when God hides his face they are terrified, and when he takes away their breath they die and return to the dust
These verses explain a beautiful relationship between God and His creation. Nothing comes into this world without God and nothing survives outside of God. The creation has learned the secret art of living in dependency on God and interdependency on others. Sometimes animals devour each other in order to survive at other times they befriend each other. For example, the survival of the fierce African crocodile depends on the small blackbird plover. It is truly a case of the mouse helping the lion, this relationship between the crocodile and the plover. As it happens, the tiny bird helps the crocodile by removing tiny morsels of food from in between the crocodile’s teeth. And what does the bird do with the food thus picked? Eat them, of course. This two-way relationship (interdependency) has resulted in a special bond between one of the fiercest creatures and one of the tiniest birds. Certainly we can learn lessons by observing how animals depend on God and one another for their survival.
II. GOD’S CARE FOR MAN
Jesus often taught powerful lessons to his disciples using the nature. On one occasion he used birds to illustrate how God can take care of human beings. The context here is money. Matt 6:25-26, (the message) “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There if far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God and you count far more to him than birds.
If this is how God takes care of his creation, do you think God can take care of your needs? Depending on God for their needs is working for the animals and birds in the animal kingdom, but can it work for us human beings too? Throughout the scriptures we see how God provided for the needs of his people. In fact the Bible commands us to put our trust in God rather than putting our trust in man. Let’s look at the following scriptures
Psalm 118:8-9 “It is far better to take refuge in God than trust in people; far better to take refuge in God than trust in celebrities.” (The message)
Psalm 4:5 “Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 9:10, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, O Lord have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 37: 3-5 “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this”
Psalm 40:4-5, “Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many O Lord my God are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”
There are numerous examples of people in the Bible who were helped because they trusted in Him. Among those were single mothers, widows, orphans, foreigners, kings, governors, administrators, army commanders, religious leaders, highly educated, blind beggars, lepers, sick women and the list can go on. They were helped not because they were great or more righteous than we are but because they called upon His name and trusted in His mighty power.
What does trusting in God mean? It is not just boldly declaring “I trust in God”, it is more than that. It is believing that God is true and trustworthy. It is having assurance and confidence. It is a strong conviction that nothing is impossible for God. It is entrusting our lives totally into his powerful hands. It is a patient expectation that he will do what he has promised he would do. It is not relying upon ourselves but totally depending on God’s ability to provide and redeem our situation. It is not being lazy and hoping that somehow God will provide but it is taking active steps of obedience and of faith.
If trust is all about reliance, confidence, assurance and belief then who could we trust? Can we honestly trust the Government, or rely upon the crumbling economy? Or can we rely upon the media No way, we can’t rely upon any one for that matter not even ourselves except God alone. David understood this principle of solely relying upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 20:7, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” Psalm 33:17-19, “A horse is a vain hope for deliverance, despite all its great strength it can not save you. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.” I have numerous stories to tell you how God has provided for my personal and my family needs over the past twenty five years of my ministry. Let me share a couple of stories to illustrate God’s provision.
Very early in my discipleship training in YWAM I have learned to trust God for all my needs, starting with the small stuff such as soap and toothpaste and food. In 1994 however it was a whole other ballgame; I was getting married to Wilma and our wedding was to take place in the Netherlands. I had the challenge of trusting God for provision for the airfare and many other expenses. I didn’t share this need with anyone and definitely didn’t want Wilma to bail me out. As I waited, and prayed a friend of mine was impressed by the Lord to send me enough money to fly by KLM to Amsterdam. The same person let us stay in her fully furnished flat for our honeymoon. God knows how to give good gifts to his children.
Our whole journey to the USA in 2005 has been one faith adventure. God taught us as a family to depend on him afresh in this country. For the past five years we have seen miracle after miracle. During my seminary time we were operating on a tight budget. It was always a juggle to pay the never ending bills. One day Wilma was invited to attend a Latina women’s breakfast After the service they asked her to share why she was there and her prayer needs, then they took up a collection among themselves and gave the whole amount to Wilma, it amounted to over $ 400. It was a huge gift from a small group of believers. I can go on sharing story after story of God’s provision. It is exciting to trust God for our needs.
I am fully aware that we are indeed living in tough times. You may be sitting here today wondering well, pastor this trusting business can work for you but for me I have to work hard to put food on the table. Or you might be saying it is easy for you to say trust in God, but you don’t understand what is to be laid of from a job or loose a house or to be sick.
Our challenges and situations are different but none of our circumstances are beyond the scope of God’s willingness to help and deliver us. God is trust worthy and absolutely nothing is impossible for him. I just don’t simply say it, I am totally convinced of it; and I say it with confidence and much experience. If you care to believe you too can experience the miracle working power of God in your life. You can absolutely rely upon his sovereign providence. In fact God is inviting you to begin a journey of faith if you have not yet already begun and in the end you won’t regret. The Journey of faith it is not always easy, it is scary at times but it is always rewarding, as it says in Hebrew 11:6, “without faith it is impossible to please God. Let me close with these assuring words. “Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you. (I Pet 5:7)
