So often as believers we pray that the Lord will provide for something, it is be money, for the ministry, for a job, a life partner or whatever. The other night in prayer as I was praying along these lines, the Lord made me realise something of critical importance:
THE LORD HAS ALREADY PROVIDED. It is done.
Let me explain, for this does not mean God will not continually provide. After all it says in Matthew 7: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
In the days of Abraham, God provided for the lamb at the time when he nearly offered Isaac on the altar. This of course was a prophetic action of the day when Jesus would be offered up on the cross, thus a wooden altar. In Genesis 22: 8 Abraham said the following: “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering”. Indeed, He has Provided and it is already fulfilled!
Yes, we serve the Lord as we know Him as Jehovah Jireh – the Lord who provides – but we need to understand God has already provided. He provided for the lamb in the days of Abraham. Fast forward, He then provided Jesus to die for our sins.
Now, let us understand the following: YOUR PROVISION IS already fulfilled IN JESUS.
It needs to be stressed and emphasised: PROVISION HAS ALREADY COME IN THE FORM OF THE LAMB WHO SLAIN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
Why is this so important to understand? Because all that we need is in Jesus. This therefore means if we continue to follow Jesus, abide in Him, seek Him, obey Him, trust Him and worship Him, then we walk in provision. It is the same concept with the Law. The Law is fulfilled in Jesus. Follow Jesus then you follow and uphold the Law. Follow Jesus you then walk in Provision. The problem is we pray for provision yet the Provision has already been provided for … the problem is not the provision, the problem is following the One who was Provided and who is now our Provision.
For example, a lot of people will interpret Matthew 7 (our quoted Scripture above) as pertaining to physical wants and needs, for believers these days have been rewired to think more of the Self and the temporary, instead of the Kingdom, of the eternal, of the divine and the supernatural. We are after all called to be Christ-centered and Christ-conscious above all else. This is the work of the infilling Spirit of the Lord. Matthew 7 really deals with seeking and finding God, for as we cry out to Him and knock on the door He shall open (Revelation 3:20). And once we find and yield and abide in Him, we discover He is our True provider, just as He is our true healer, comforter and source of redemption and strength.
Prosperity teachings that relies for example on Matthew 7 leads us to detach provision from God, for prosperity teaching allows for room and scope for apparent provision from God without really abiding in Jesus, or even following Jesus or obeying Him. Prosperity teaching has detached the believer from the divine and the Kingdom to focus on the temporary flesh and desires, thus allowing for room to discard God’s Truth and God’s Ways. We are, however, called to deny ourselves, carry the cross and follow Him – Jesus our Provision and Provider – for then we shall prosper in spirit, soul and body. For it is written in 3 John: 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Of the Lord we read the following in “Colossians 2: For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Take note of Paul writes in verse 3 … in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Matthew 13, the Lord teaches in depth through parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, and how one must seek it and cherish it once found. It is after all about the Kingdom, which should be our highest treasure and worth. Thus it should be all about Jesus and His will. One such teaching is found for example in v 44: The kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. A man found it, and he concealed it. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” In Jesus we find all our provision, all our spiritual strength, wisdom, riches and understanding. In Him we find our hope, our joy, our peace, our salvation and restoration.
In Matthew 6, the Lord teaches about the Lord’s Prayer and not having to worry about today. He then reminds us that we must first seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness and the rest shall be added unto us. Now again, the Lord spoke such a truth following His teaching on praying, which focusses primarily our attention on God, on His Will, and on His Kingdom. And in the Lord’s Prayer we are told to ask for our daily bread. Remember, also Jesus is the Bread of Heaven (John 6).
Thus, as we seek Jesus first (thus His Kingdom), and we seek His will and way (according to the Lord’s Prayer), then we shall abide in Him who is the Bread of Heaven and the Bread of Life. He is our Provider, and in Him is our Provision. Not just physical provision, but provision of spiritual and emotional want and need. He is our Provision that has already been Provided for so we must pray to abide more in Him (John 15) for then we shall bear much fruit (prosperity in spirit and soul that strengthens the flesh).
Again, God has already provided. In Jesus we find ALL the treasures that we need by His grace to grow spiritually and to be sustained in this life. Yet, we have turned provision into a matter of the temporary, and we have turned our gaze away from the One who is our Provision towards the Self and our needs and desires. True provision comes when we follow Jesus, for on the cross He shed His Blood as the Provided Lamb for our sins, for our healing and our deliverance. Jesus is our Provision, but not to cater for the selfish needs and wants of man, or for our carnal desires, or to find treasures or for us to build kingdoms that will fade and rust, but to build His Kingdom and to shine His light for all to see – the lost and the broken.
We must therefore not constantly cry out for Provision as if it has to be provided, for Provision has already been provided for in Jesus. It is rather a matter of submitting, abiding and yielding to the Lord in Him is our Provision. It is therefore a matter of obeying, a matter of denying the Self and following the Lord as a true disciple.
After all, so often we pray for provision it terms of monetary currency, or for tangible things to make our lives easier and more comfortable, instead of rather seeking for greater faith, greater spiritual fortitude and wisdom to follow Jesus boldly and without fear or fail. Our focus should be on following Jesus, and obeying and trusting and praising, for then God shall provide for all our needs for He is the provision as provided by the Father. This was the crux of the teaching in Matthew 6 about not worrying about tomorrow, as long as we first seek the Kingdom of God above all else. For then we shall fulfil the greatest commandment and remain true to the great commission.
Indeed, Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life; those who know Him will know His voice; He is the only Shepherd and He is the only way to the Father. Oh glorious Jesus, you are all and everything, for all has been made for you, unto you, through you, in you and all is upheld by thee! For millenniums the world has been led away from Jesus by following many different other voices, so many different paths, so many false ways and so many false shepherds. O, Jesus is the only Voice that we must listen to, He is the only Way, He is the only Shepherd, and He is the only answer and the only way to the throne room of God the Father.
Because we have ultimately strayed from Jesus, making provision about ourselves and about our kingdoms and wants and needs. If we become so conscious about ourselves and our kingdoms, then we ultimately find true divine provision dries up! The further we drift away from the Lord, the further we drift away from our provision. Let our eyes return to the Lord, for surely His eyes are on the righteous. God does not call us to build on any other foundation but on the only foundation of Jesus. When the people are led back to the throne room of the Lord, there will be praise, there will be worship, there will be a humble heart and a contrite spirit, there will be truth and there will be victory! And there will be provision.
Hallelujah, praise Him and worship Him. At His feet there is surrender, there is forgiveness and there is peace. He is the fulfilment of the Law and the mediator of the New Covenant. By His blood we are free! With our eyes upon Him, there is vision and understanding. Oh let the Lord awaken in us the living truth. Let His sword cut through our spirit and soul, burning into us the living epistles of His word and truth. Let us surrender and overturn, overturn and overturn our wicked ways. Praise Him and glorify Him! He is the answer to all and everything, for all ages and all ages to come. He is love and He is compassion. He is the Alfa and the Omega. He is the authority and life. He is Lord over all. He is our Provision.