How Do We Rely on God’s Promise to Provide for Our Needs?

“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. — Matthew 6:31–33, WEB-BE

Jesus gave His own promise: that we shall be provided for all our needs. But if this promise is true, why are there so many people who are hungry? Why are there so many people who die in poverty?

Only one of two things then can be true: 1. God broke His promise, or 2. We did not understand His promise properly.

Did God Promise Wealth?

The first thing we need to consider is whether God promised a materially rich life for His followers or not. Did He?

Saying that God will provide for our needs does not mean that He will provide them in ways we want Him to. It could mean that He will provide for us as we live a simple life. It could mean that He will provide the basic necessities mentioned in the above Bible verse — food and clothing.

If we remember the parable of Lazarus and the rich man, we can recall how poor Lazarus was.

A certain beggar, named Lazarus, was taken to his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Yes, even the dogs came and licked his sores. — Luke 16:20–21, WEB-BE

Now we can imagine here how poor Lazarus was, so poor that he desired to be fed with crumbs falling from the rich man’s table. Did God not provide for his needs because he was bad? Not at all! If Lazarus were evil, why was he carried away to a good place by angels after he died?

The beggar died, and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. — Luke 16:22, WEB-BE

We can see from this parable that even if we seek God’s will, we can still be poor. To preach to others that all of God’s followers here on earth would enjoy abundance in material riches would be to mislead those who want to know the truth.

Further, it would insult so many people who are living in dire poverty — people in war-torn countries, people affected by drought and natural calamities, people who cannot even feed their own children. God allows poverty and hunger. Being poor and hungry does not mean that one is bad. It doesn’t mean that one is not seeking God’s will.

Is God Speaking Only About Material Provision?

We must always try to seek the context from which a Bible verse was taken. In this case, the initial verses are as follows:

“Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. — Matthew 6:19–21 WEB-BE

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. — Matthew 6:24 WEB-BE

The context of the promise is about the importance of God’s Kingdom. It is seeking things that are eternal. Here, we have the assurance that if we seek God’s will, we shall be provided with everything we need.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he asks for an egg, he won’t give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” — Luke 11:11–13, WEB-BE

It isn’t that God can’t or does not want to provide material riches for his children. But this is to emphasize what’s more important — what’s truly important in the end! For how could we even begin to compare this short life to the eternity that awaits us in the life to come?

Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.”So that with good courage we say,
“The Lord is my helper. I will not fear.
What can man do to me?”
— Hebrews 13:5–6, WEB-BE

For we don’t have here an enduring city, but we seek that which is to come. — Hebrews 13:14, WEB-BE

If God is not talking about spiritual wealth, how else could we explain this verse:

Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? — Matthew 6:28–30, WEB-BE

Jesus used the lilies of the field as a comparison, yet not even Solomon was dressed as beautifully as they were! If even Solomon was not clothed that way (in terms of earthly clothing), could we claim that we were promised to be clothed elegantly if we seek God’s Kingdom?

There is obviously something more being promised here. We may not be dressed as beautifully as that in terms of material clothing, but we can be clothed spiritually with spiritual riches that are far more glorious and radiant!

To Set Aside Our Worries

Aside from emphasizing the importance of spiritual treasures, we are also urged to refrain from useless worries and anxieties.

Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? “Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? — Matthew 6:25–27, WEB-BE

We often worry about food when we don’t even know how long we could live. We worry about clothes when we don’t know how long we could possibly enjoy good health. It is God who knows and holds the length of our lives. And if He does, can He not send us everything else we need to live?

God is not keeping us from working and seeking what we need to survive. He’s urging us not to worry because worrying would do nothing to help improve our lives. Many times, too much worry could even affect our health. And if we become too inclined to worrying only about material possessions, we could even endanger our eternal soul.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we certainly can’t carry anything out. But having food and clothing, we will be content with that. But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some have been led astray from the faith in their greed, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows. — 1 Timothy 6:6–10, WEB-BE

What was sown amongst the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. — Matthew 13:22, WEB-BE

For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul? — Mark 8:36, DRA

Provision For Our Journey

God knows our needs, both our material and spiritual ones. We are not told that He disregards our physical needs. When a multitude came to hear Jesus, He was even concerned about giving them food to eat. He does not stop there, however. He gives us even His own flesh to eat that we may have eternal life.

After these things, Jesus went away to the other side of the sea of Galilee, which is also called the Sea of Tiberias. A great multitude followed him, because they saw his signs which he did on those who were sick. Jesus went up into the mountain, and he sat there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Jesus therefore, lifting up his eyes and seeing that a great multitude was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, that these may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. — John 6:1–6, WEB-BE

Jesus went out, and he saw a great multitude. He had compassion on them and healed their sick. When evening had come, his disciples came to him, saying, “This place is deserted, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.” — Matthew 14:14–16, WEB-BE

Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and they died. This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh. — John 6:47–51, WEB-BE

Trusting In God’s Wisdom

God knows our needs better than we do. If He ever allows poverty to still exist in this fallen world, we must trust His wisdom that all things would work out for the better in the end. He would never allow anything evil to exist unless He could derive from it a far greater good.

And what is this greater good? It would be presumptuous of us to claim that we know all of it. At times, however, we have glimpses of it when we see compassion for one’s neighbor, when we witness the generosity of hearts, and when we find people who continue to trust in God despite all the difficulties they’re going through.

What we have now is His assurance that He will provide for everything we need as we seek His Kingdom. Does this include even the material things we need? I think it does. It includes every material thing we need as we seek to grow spiritually in this life.

God will provide for our material needs but not at the expense of our souls. Whatever blessing He may hold back for our good, He will replace a thousandfold.

“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. — Matthew 6:31–33, WEB-BE

I would like to conclude this article with a prayer by Mother Teresa, one of God’s instruments in reaching out to the poor — to the poor in spirit as well as to the poor in material wealth.

I prayed:
O, my God,
By free choice, and for your sake
I desire to stay here and do
what your will requires of me.
No, I will not turn back.
My community is the poor.
Their safety is mine.
Their health is my health.
My house is that of the poor — of the poorest among the poor;
of those one tries to avoid for fear of contagion and dirtiness,
because they are covered with microbes and worms;
of those who do not go to pray,
because one cannot go out of one’s house naked;
of those who do not eat anymore,
because they have no strength for eating;
of those who fall down on the streets,
knowing that they are going to die,
and at whose side pedestrians pass and don’t look back,
of those who do not weep anymore,
because they have run out of tears;
of the untouchable.
The Lord has willed me here where I am. He will offer a solution.
— Mother Teresa