Before we talk about God as our Provider, let’s clarify a point through another attribute that God is Self-Sufficient. Whatever God is, and all that God is, He is in Himself. [John 5:26] Jesus said, “The Father hath life in himself.” God does not receive life, support, power, or strength from anything or any other being. If that were so then that other entity would be God. There is nothing outside of Himself. He is all Self-Sufficient and the buck stops with Him. Tozer says, “An elementary but correct way to think of God is as the One who contains all, who gives all that is given, but who Himself can receive nothing that He has not first given… The word necessary is wholly foreign to God.”
There is no need in God. Need is not a word that relates to God. We are filled with needs and incomplete without Him but He is not incomplete without us. He didn’t create us to fulfill some need within Him. If God had a need, that would be saying that His divine being would be incomplete. We know He is not incomplete. He is fully complete in Himself always and He has no needs. He wants our love and wants to be in a loving relationship with us; but not because of a need in Him. He is all complete love, He doesn’t need our love to complete Him. Whether we choose to love Him or not, He is not greater or lesser for it.
God knows all of our needs and that includes our need for strength, emotional well-being, guidance, wisdom, everything you need: [Phil 4:19] And my God will meet ALL your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. [I Tim 6:17] Put their hope in God, who richly PROVIDES us with everything for our enjoyment. [II Pt 1:3] God has given us everything we need to live a godly life. God gives us always just what we need, not always what we want. What we want might not be what is best but don’t be afraid to ask for anything in His name. But always be like Jesus and say, not my will but thine be done.
God gives life to all things. Nothing has life without God. We need this gift of life to live. We were not formed on our own, we do not grow on our own, we don’t breathe nor does our heart beat on our own. God is involved in all His creation. There is not life within us apart from God. We need God, the giver of life.
God knows just what the world needs to keep it going. God knows how to maintain His created world better than we do. He gives and provides just what is needed. [Psalm 65:9] You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it.
We cry out that God provide for our physical needs but God knows your spiritual needs as well and provided all we need through Jesus. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son.” It was a generous gift. All redemption from sins, salvation, the church, the Holy Spirit, and heavenly rewards are all provided by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His life for the whole world to purify it from sin, “that all who believe on Him will have eternal life.” [Psalm 111:9] He provided one of the greatest things we need in this life, and that is hope. Jesus provided hope.
Believing that God is Provider is critical to your Christian walk. We can wring our hands worrying about getting our needs met. [Matt 6:25,33] “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink…Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Worrying means you do not trust God to provide for your needs. He is not big or powerful enough, has limited resources, not in control, and doesn’t care. How you feel about the attribute of God as ultimate Provider definitely affects how you live your life. It affects the quality of your life. You can live in fear and worry or you can live at peace and rest knowing God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory.
