Will God Take Care of You?
The above question is a very good one. Most people would probably say “yes” to this question. Will God take care of you in the midst of trials? If you are going through hardships of some kind, do you question God’s care for you?
I like the prophet Elijah a great deal. He was a man who spoke God’s message to king Ahab of Israel and told him the Lord said it would not rain until He said so. After Elijah told him this he was told to go to the brook Cherith and would be fed by ravens twice a day. They would bring him bread and meat and he would drink from the brook. God took care of—provided for—Elijah.
But it did not rain and the brook dried up. God then sent Elijah to a city called Zarephath. This was a Gentile city. There a widow would provide for him. She fed him every day. Again, God cared for Elijah.
This widow was gathering sticks so she could feed one last meal for herself and her son and then they would die. She was down to the last little bit of her oil and flour. Because she fed Elijah, her oil never ran out and neither did her flour. She provided for Elijah and she and her son were provided for as well during this famine that lasted three-and-one-half years. (James 5:19)
Later her son died and Elijah would pray and asked God to bring life back into him. She would then tell Elijah she knew he was a man of God. Evidently, she wasn’t convinced until this happened. (Read 1 Kings 17)
Will God take care of you? God has stated that He would provide our needs. In Philippians 4:19 Paul stated, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (NASB) Did you notice that God will supply our “needs”? The did not say our desires would be met.
Well, what are our needs? We need food, clothing and shelter. The Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6:11 tells us, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Note again He did not say “fill up your pantry”, or “give us steak.” God never promised to give us more than we need. We probably all have more than we need, but we ask for the daily rations.
Elijah and this woman did what was asked of them. God does expect us to be obedient to His word, the Bible. When we are in rebellion to Him, we should not expect Him to give us anything. In Matthew 6:33 we read, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” According to Jesus, God and His will and ways must come before anything else.
So, if we are obedient to God in all He has asked of us, yes, God will take care of us. We should not expect His help, if we want to live out our own desires. Are you obeying our Lord in every aspect of your life?