Staff Blog

As I move into my seventh year of ministry, it’s fun to gaze in retrospect and see all that God has accomplished through my efforts to serve Him and His efforts to reveal Himself to remote people around the world. I was reminded this month of a story that happened in the Brazilian Amazon several years ago as I was leading an expedition among the Indians.

I was preaching in an Indian village late one afternoon after our team had lost a long soccer game against the villagers. As I began to share, the Holy Spirit directed me to share on God’s provision for His people. I began to use illustrations from their life to show how God is interested in providing for them through various means. In a village and agrarian lifestyle, no one is going to make a lot of money, so God’s provision will come in means that they deal with and can relate to. I shared how God can lead them right to a wild boar when they are hunting so that finding a meal isn’t so difficult. I remember emphasizing and re-emphasizing this point. I’m sure I shared other illustrations as well, but I kept on coming back to the story about the wild boar. 

As the service closed, I prayed for the village and the team headed back to the boat. Our boat was parked on the banks of the river, next to the village. We would sleep on the boat in hammocks and during the day spend our time in the village. As I walked onto our boat, I heard a great commotion in the village. Men, women and children were yelling everywhere. It didn’t sound like a scream resulting from a catastrophe, and I was so tired that I continued onto the boat.

Not long after the commotion began, one of our team members ran onto the boat and said that a wild boar had just came running through the village, had fallen into a big hole and was now being killed by the men in the village! I was amazed and excited to see God finish my sermon with such an amazing illustration of His own! I was so tired I couldn’t get very excited, but I remember smiling and thinking to myself, “That was a very nice touch to the message, very appropriate!”

The next day we left the village and moved onto the next place of ministry. But we left them with great meals that would last them one week. That evening must have left a strong impression upon those people concerning how God is very interested in their well being. They will never forget the lesson to pray and ask God to guide them on their hunting trips or God’s generous and creative ability to meet their needs at all times, and in various ways. And hopefully they will never again lack wild boar!

I’d also like to relate this story to our lives today. If God cares for the Amazon Indians so much that he would provide such a great illustration of His ample ability to provide for their food, are we of lesser value than the Brazilians? Will God not generously and creatively supply us also with everything we need? If God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field so magnificently, are we not of much greater worth than those? But, in this Biblical illustration that Jesus used, He instructs us “don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?...But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

From that we may be tempted to say, “Sure, Lord, I’ll have food and clothing, but there are many goals and dreams I want to accomplish! What about those?!” I’m reminded of the words in Pslam 37:4, which say, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” God promises that if and when we put Him first in our lives, He will show Himself strong and abundantly able to provide on our behalf, in all the different areas of life.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Paul was speaking to a church that was active in supporting his ministry over time. They were faithful to seek first the Kingdom of God with their money and therefore Paul was convinced that God would reward them abundantly. When we show forth our faith by being obedient to His commands, especially with our finances, He will abundantly provide for all of our needs.

Yes, there is an economic recession, but does that put handcuffs on God’s hands of provision?! Sometimes it’s not even money we need, but a job, or favor in relationships, or Godly wisdom in a task. Whatever the need, He is more than able and more than willing to provide for our needs, despite the economic circumstances around us. To the committed and faith filled Christian, there should be little doubt that God is the provider and that the Holy Spirit is navigating us through this life, never missing a turn and avoiding the obstacles that sink us along the way!

Ephesians 3:20: “Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…” Be encouraged this month that God is with you and for you and with Him you cannot lose! Continue to put Him first in all things in faith that His supply will overtake and out give your needs! Let His ability bring a supernatural blessing and increase to your task at hand. May God bless you and take time and encourage someone this month with God’s ability to improve their current condition because He is their provider!

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” – Romans 8:31-32